BANCROFT 
LIBRARY 

•0- 

THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


L  4 


1904 


BUFFALO  BILL'S  DIVOECE. 

Telegraphing  from  Cheyenne  (Wyoimng)  on  Sunday 
'  a  correspondent  says :  — Buffalo  Bill  concluded  his  case 
I  for  a  divorce  on  Saturday  by  submitting  evidence  show- 
ing that  he  was  away  hunting  in  the  Big  Horn  moun- 
tains at  the  time  when  Mrs.  Cody  alleges  he  was  fre- 
f  quenting  disreputable  houses  elsewhere.  Colonel  Cody 
.'.;eu  tht>  a/iti/mpt  J.uring  ttie  furor  »1  of  li's  daugh- 
ter mode  by  Dr.  Powell,  a  mutual  friend,  to  effect  a 
reconciliation,  but  Mrs.  Oody  repulsed  all  his  efforts. 
He  admitted  being  on  good  terms  with  his  wife  down  to 
1902.  Some  love-letters  to  his  wife  written  between 
1900  and  1902  were  produced,  but  the  attorney  said  that 
the  writing  was  almost  illegible.  Colonel  Cody  readily 
volunteered  to  read  the  letters,  remarking,  "It's  pretty 
tough  work."  Mrs.  Cody  called  several  witnesses,  who 
testified  to  her  good  character.  One  witness  said  that 
Mrs.  Ccdy  had  been  willing  to  forgive  everything  except 
the  charge  that  she  had  attempted  to  poison  her  hus- 
band, which  quite  broke  her  heart.  Threats  of  a  peti- 
tion for  divorce  were  made  by  both  sides,  but  Colonel 
Cody  "thought  it  an  advantage  to  take  the  field  first." 
Other  evidence  will  be  taken  at  Sheridan  next  month, 
when  Colonel  Cody  will  probably  avail  himself  of 
another  opportunity  of  giving  evidence.  Bather  a  sen- 
sational feature  of  Saturday's  proceedings  was  the 
action  of  Judge  Scott  in  refusing  to  accept  all  the  testi- 
mony of  Mrs.  H.  Parker,  one  of  the  wife's  witnesses, 
(relative  to  the  colonel's  alleged  friendship  for  certain 
well-known  laddes  in  England  and  America,  whose  names 
she  enumerated.  The  judge  severely  rebuked  Mrs. 
Parker,  and  the  attorney  stigmatised  the  offensive 
statements  as  "manifestly  unjust,  preposterous,  false, 
and  brutal." 

"Buffalo  Bill"  is  suing  Mr.  Howard  Gould,  of  New 
York,  for  £30,000,  the  amount  of  the  deficit  arising  from 
a  theatrical  venture  in  which  "Buffalo  Bill"  backed  Misa 
Rathrine  Clemmons,  who  afterwards  became  Mrs. 
Howard  Gould. 


THE  STATE 


' 


- . 


7 

x$ 


OF 


WYOMING 


An 'Official  Publication  Containing    Reliable    Informa- 
tion Concerning  the    Resources 
of   the  State. 


EDITED  AND  PUBLISHED  BY 

FENIMORE  CHATTERTON, 

SECRETARY  OP  STATE,  1904. 


LARAMIE,  WYO.  '. 
.FFORD   *   MATHISON,  PRINTERS 
1904 


BUFFALO    BI».L*S    L'lYOKCE. 

PATHETIC  INCIDENTS. 

The  "Telegraph's"  New  York  correspondent  cabled  on 
Wednesday ---buffalo  Bill's  petition  tor  a  divorce  was 
advanced   another   stage   yesterday,    *1f?|A?k1JJS' 
upon   examination  by  her  attorneys     at  Noith  Platte 
Nebraska      reviewed    her     married     life.       iney     we. 
mar  kd forty   years  ago   at   St.   Louis,   when  she  was 
SSty-two  /ears  of   age,   and   both  were  poor        She 
undertook    work   as  a   sempstress,    white    her  husband 
drove,    big    teams    across   the    Kansas   Plains.        Latei 
cZnel  5odV     became   a  professional     *"£*-***;  - 
buffalo  department,  wherein  he  excelled.       In   I 
is  anointed  a  Government  scout,  and  for  some  years 
on°tantly    away    on    Indian    expeditions.        Pros- 
»Stv  dawned  when  her  husband  obtained  a  theatrical 
engagement,  afterwards  developing  into  a  showman  on 
his°  own  account,  and  buying  property. 

Counsel-  Do  you  still  love  your  husband  P-With  a 
my  heart,  for  he  is  the  father  of  my  children. -Do  you 
desire   »  reconciliation?— Y«»,   I   do;   but   I   think   1. 
outht  to  retract  the  poison  accusations -Did  you  ever 
give  Colonel  Cody  dragon's  blood  to  make  him  love  you 
more  and  other  women  less?— I  don't  evea  know  what 
diSn's  blood  is.-Did  you  ever  give  the  colonel  any 
dru^  to  overpower  him  or  that  would  in  any  way  injure 
him?— No,  I  never  did.     I  frequently  gave  him  teas  and 
medicines  when  he  was  ailing   and  I  presu 
these  occasions  that  people  thought  I  drugged  1  im. 

Mrs.  Cody  specifically  denied  having  mentioned  the 
names  of  women  to  whom  her  husband  was  alleged  to 
>e  attentive.  "My  husband  gave  me  all  of  the  North 
Platte  property  (Mrs.  Cody  testified),  and  at  time  of 
di1n?sKSd  I  know  you  will  keep  it  for  us  in  our  old 
S£*  She  told  of  the  trip  when  her  daughter  was 
buried,  and  denied  she  threatened  to  denounce  Colonel 
Codv  over  the  grave  as  the  murderer  of  the  girl.  BBe 
admitted  sending  a  telegram,  to  Colonel  Cody  wherein 
she  said  that  his  action  in  bringing  the  divorce  suit  1 
broken  Arta.'.  heart.  The  letter  was  intr^""^  «™1 
provided  one  of  the  most  pathetic  incident*. 
It  was  a  letter  to  her  mother,  written  by  the  daughter 
before  she  died.  In  it  she  said  that  tht 


examination  failed  to  shake  her 


BUFFALO    BILL'S    DIVORCE. 

New  York,  Wednesday.-Bnfi'alo  Bill  leaves  here  on 
Saturday  for  Paris  He  concluded  his  depositions  at  Omaha 
in  his  petition  for  a  divorce  with  the  declaration  thathe 
was  opposed  to  a  reconciliation  with  Mrs.  Codv.  1ms 
declaration  was  ma-'c  as  the  result,  Colonel  Cody  stated,  of 
Mrs  Cody  having  charged  him  with  being  the  virtual 
murderer  of  their  daughter  Arta,  and  announcing  publicly 
that  she  would  ri enounce  him  over  her  grave.  Colonel 
Ccdv  w"^  questioned  about  the  separation  between  himself 
and Mw  Cody  in  1877.  He  said  it  resulted  from  an  aftair 
at  an  hotel  iu  Omaha  He  had  closed  his  business  season, 
he  said,  and  was  paying  off  the  women  employes.  Mrs. 
Cody  took  exception  to  the  manner  in  which  he  bid.  the  lady 
employes  good-bye.  


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(CONTENTS. 


Page. 

Agriculture 30 

Analysis — 

Coal 44 

Iron 54 

Mineral  Springs 51 

Thermopolis 100 

Saratoga 103 

Oil  : 72-78 

Soda 51 

Banks  and  Interest 131 

Bonded  Debts- 
State,  $260,000 133 

Counties,  $1,109,220 124 

ScTiool  Districts,  $225,659.50..  .134 

Eank  Statements 132 

Clay 48 

Climate 79 

Counties — Special  Article  on 

Albany  County 91 

Big  Horn  County 94 

Carbon  County too 

Converse  County 105 

Crook  County 107 

Fremont  County 109 

Johnson  County 1 12 

Laramie  County 114 

Xatrona  County 119 

Sheridan  County 121 

Sweet  water  County 123 

I'ir.ta  County 125 

Weston  County 129 

County  and  School  District  Bond- 
ed Indebtedness 134 

Debts — Bonded 133-134 

Educational  Advantages 86 

Elevation   of   Cities   and   Moun- 
tains   144 

Elk  Mountain  District 67 

Fishiner 137 

Fruit  Growing 32 

Grand  Encampment  Copper  Dis- 
trict   59 

Green  River  Soda 51 

Guernsey  Iron  District 53 

Guides — Licensed 139 

Horticulture 30 

Hot  Springs — 

Saratoga 103 

Thermopolis TOO 

Hunting  and  Fishing 137 

Industrial  Association 139 

Interest  Rates 131 


Page. 
Land — 
Arid  Lands — 

Reclamation  of 16-20 

Reclaimed — List  of 20 

Coal 24 

Desert  Lands 23 

Government  Lands — Acreage.  .  21 

Homestead  Law 22 

How  it  may  be  acquired 14 

.\  1  ineral  Lands 24 

State- 
How  Purchased 15 

How  Leased — Acreage 16 

List  of  Postoffices 142 

Live  Stock 37 

Cattle 39 

Sheep 39 

Horses 40 

Mineral  Resources — 

General  Article 40 

Coal 43 

Coal  Analysis 44 

Coal  Output 45 

Coke 43 

Copper 42-59 

Gold 42-55 

Hot  Springs 51 

Iron 52 

Lead 42 

Oil 71 

Silver 42 

Soda 51 

Plaster 47 

Population  by  Counties 10 

Postoffices 142 

Public  Buildings 131 

Public  Libraries 86 

Railroads  135 

Seminoe  Iron  District 52 

Stage  Routes  .  .  .  •: 135 

State  Fair 139 

South    Pass    and    Atlantic    City 

Gold  District 55 

Stone — Building 47 

Sunlight  Mining  District 69 

Tax  Levies 134 

Taxes  and  Public  Indebtedness..  133 

Vegetables 31 

Water- 
How  Secured  for  Ditches 25 

How  Secured  for  Pumps 29 

Wyoming — A  Sketch 7 

Wyoming  Wants 140 

Yellowstone  National  Park..      .   10 


"l/f 


REFACE. 


The  Legislature  of  1903  authorized  me  to  publish  a  pam- 
phlet which  should,  in  the  main,  give  a  concise  account  of  the 
State's  resources  and  interests. 

The  task  of  collecting  the  necessary  information  has  been 
somewhat  difficult,  because  of  the  numerous  interests,  centered 
over  a  territory  embracing  nearly  ninety-eight  thousand  square 
miles,  and  the  results  are  somewhat  disappointing,  as  I  realize 
that  many  facts  of  interest  and  value  must,  of  necessity,  have 
been  overlooked. 

It  has  been  impossible,  within  the  space  allowed,  to  give 
as  much  detailed  information  as  desired,  but  an  earnest  en- 
deavor has  been  made  to  give,  under  the  stamp  of  official 
authority,  from  sources  of  the  strictest  reliability,  an  accurate 
and  reliable  summary  of  the  State's  resourceful  advantages. 

I  take  pleasure  in  giving  grateful  acknowledgment  for 
very  valuable  assistance  rendered  in  the  collection  of  data  to 
the  following  gentlemen,  who  have  kindly  interested  them- 
selves in  furnishing  same:  H.  C.  Beeler,  State  Geologist;  Dr. 
M.  C.  Barkwell,  ex-Senator  J.  M.  Carey,  W.  E.  Chaplin,  J.  B. 
Hassett,  Henry  A.  Coffeen,  P.  L.  Smith. 

FENIMORE  CHATTERTON, 

Secretary  of  State. 


YOMING. 


Wyoming  was  organized  as  a  territory  July  25,  1868,  from 
what  was  then  the  southwestern  portion  of  Dakota,  north- 
eastern part  of  Utah,  and  eastern  part  of  Idaho.  On  July  10, 
1890,  the  territory  was  admitted  as  a  State  by  act  of  Congress, 
being  the  forty-fourth  State  in  order  of  admission. 

Its  geographical  location  classes  it  among  the  States  of 
the  inter-mountai-n  or  arid  region,  being  bounded  on  the  north 
by  Montana,  on  the  east  by  Dakota  and  Nebraska,  on  the  south 
by  Colorado  and  Utah,  and  on  the  west  by  Utah,  Idaho  and 
Montana.  Its  length  from  ea'st  to  west  is  355  miles;  width 
from  north  to  south,  276  miles,  and  it  has  an  area  of  97,890 
square  miles,  or  62,645,120  acres. 

The  region  now  comprised  within  the  limits  of  the  State 
was  traversed  by  Canadian  explorers  and  other  venturesome 
persons  at  an  early  date,  but  the  first  white  settlement  appears 
to  have  been  established  at  Fort  Laramie,  in  the  eastern  part 
of  the  State,  in  the  year  1834.  Subsequently,  trading  posts 
were  established  in  other  localities,  and  still  later  the  building 
of  the  Union  Pacific  railroad  and  the  adaptation  of  the  West- 
ern country  to  the  cattle  business  led  to  further  settlement. 

In  general  appearance  the  country  is  mountainous,  with 
valleys,  rolling  plains  and  plateaus,  the  latter  covered  with 
grasses  of  great  nutrition  and  furnishing  admirable  pasture  for 
live  stock,  while  the  mean  elevation  is  6,000  feet  above  sea  level, 
with  extremes  ranging  from  3,000  to  14,000  feet.  Probably 
10,000,000  acres  of  the  total  area  of  the  State  are  covered  with 
timber. 

Flowing  east  or  west,  according  as  their  source  is  on  the 
eastern  or  western  slope  of  the  main  range  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  which  cross  the  State  from  north  to  south,  are 
numerous  streams,  among  the  number  being  the  North  Platte, 
Snake  River,  Green  River,  the  Big  Horn,  the  Shoshone,  the 
Laramie  and  the  Yellowstone.  None  of  these  streams  are 
navigable  in  a  commercial  sense,  but  they  furnish  water  for 
the  irrigation  and  development  of  the  surrounding  country, 
and  in  some  instances  are  used  for  the  transportation  of 
timber. 


8  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

The  soil  is  a  light  sandy  loam,  darker  and  richer  in  the 
valleys.  When  reclaimed  by  the  application  of  water,  bounti- 
ful returns  of  agricultural  products,  with  the  exception  of  such 
as  thrive  only  at  low  altitude  and  in  warm,  damp  climates,  are 
secured.  It  is  estimated  that  10,000,000  acres  of  the  area  of 
the  State  are  suitable  for  agricultural  purposes  by  irrigation. 

There  are  thirteen  counties,  four  judicial  districts,  four 
irrigation  divisions,  many  school  districts,  but  no  township 
organization.  The  capital  is  located  at  Cheyenne,  in  the  south- 
eastern corner  of  the  State. 

The  climate  is  similar  to  that  of  the  mountain  region  of 
Italy,  and  is  not,  as  sometimes  erroneously  supposed,  extraord- 
inarily severe  in  the  winter.  The  average  mean  temperature 
for  the  year  is  about  44  degrees,  varying  somewhat  according 
to  elevation,  and  the  atmosphere  is  rarefied  and  pure,  with  but 
few  cloudy  days.  High  winds  sometimes  prevail  during  the 
spring  and  fall,  but  cyclones  and  tornadoes  are  unknown,  while 
the  dryness  of  the  atmosphere  tends  to  ameliorate  the  effects 
of  extreme  col'd.  Snow  storms  are  usually  followed  by  high 
winds,  which  serve  to  uncover  the  pastures,  so  that  live  stock 
get  the  benefit  of  the  grasses  cured  by  the  previous  summer's 
sun,  and  as  the  cured  native  grasses  retain  their  nutrition,  it 
enables  the  stockman  to  support  his  stock  upon  the  open 
range  with  little,  and  in  the  case  of  sheep  raising,  no  additional 
food.  The  severity  and  frequency  of  Western  blizzards  have 
been  largely  exaggerated,  so  that  some  people  consider  the 
Western  climate  is  synonymous  with  constant  storms,  dan- 
gerous to  life.  Nothing  could  be  farther  from  the  truth,  and 
but  few  climates  are  more  bracing,  healthful  or  pleasant  than 
the  climate  of  the  mountain  region  of  the  Western  States. 
The  lowest  temperature  registered  at  Cheyenne  in  December, 
1903,  was  24  degrees  above  zero.  The  almost  constant  sunlight 
is  not  only  pleasant,  but  beneficial  from  a  sanitary  standpoint, 
and  it  is  a  well  recognized  fact  in  the  medical  profession  that 
certain  diseases,  notably  pulmonary  affections,  are  much  ben- 
efited by  change  from  the  States  of  lower  altitudes  to  Wyo- 
ming or  adjacent  States.  (See  article  on  Climate.) 

Gold,  copper  and  coal  mining,  petroleum  production  and 
raising  live  stock  are  the  most  important  business  interests  of 
the  State.  (See  articles  on  these  resources.)  As  will  be  no- 
ticed elsewhere  in  this  publication,  the  supply  of  coal  under- 
lying the  State  is  apparently  inexhaustible,  and  constant  em- 
ployment is  furnished  to  a  great  many  miners. 

The  raising  of  live  stock  in  its  departments,  however, 
probably  now  claims  the  attention  of  more  people  than  any 
other  industry,  and  the  facilities  for  prosecuting  that  business 


THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING.  9 

are  such  as  to  commend  it  to  the  attention  of  prospective  set- 
tlers. It  is  a  noticeable  feature  of  the  present  condition  of  the 
State  that  many  of  the  former  large  herds  of  cattle  have,  in 
recent  years,  been  reduced,  without,  however,  materially  re- 
ducing the  total  number  of  cattle  in  the  State,  while  the  num- 
ber of  small  herds  owned  by  ranchmen  and  farmers  has  largely 
increased,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  any  other  State  can  show  an 
agricultural  population  whose  financial  condition  averages 
better  than  that  of  Wyoming's  ranchmen.  Many  are  here  to 
testify  to  the  benefits  and  profits  derived  by  them  from  the 
use  of  the  free  pasture  lands  of  the  open  range,  with  it  nutri- 
tious native  grasses,  the  opportunities  of  acquiring  government 
land,  cheap  fuel  and  healthy  climate,  and  the  large  area  of  the 
State  in  proportion  to  the  present  population  is  sufficient  evi- 
dence that  opportunities  by  which  others  have  heretofore  pro- 
fited still  offer  to  the  prospective  settler. 

The  State  is  destined  in  the  very  near  future  to  become  the 
richest,  in  its  diversified  natural  resources,  of  any  in  the  Union. 
The  minerals  listed  in  another  part  of  this  pamphlet  are  here  in 
quantity.  There  are  vast  coal  fields  as  yet  unopened  and  sub- 
ject to  entry  under  the  United  States  statutes.  There  is  an 
enormous  area  of  oil  land,  most  of  which  is  still  open  for  loca- 
tion. There  are  mountains  of  iron  ore ;  there  is  probably  more 
copper  than  in  any  other  State — veins  from  four  to  twenty-five 
feet  wide,  running  from  15  per  cent,  to  70  per  cent. — and  many 
rich  gold  bearing  lodes. 

Hot  springs  abound,  which  not  only  equal  but  surpass  the 
famous  Carlsbad  Springs  of  Europe.  The  analysis  of  the  wa- 
ters and  the  results  of  their  use  have  demonstrated  this  to  be 
true. 

The  only  thing  necessary  to  make  the  State  all  and  more 
than  is  claimed  for  it  in  this  pamphlet  is  more  transportation 
facilities — railroads  operated  in  the  interest  of  local  develop- 
ment and  not  solely  for  trans-continental  traffic — more  capital 
invested  on  a  business  basis,  and  more  men  of  brains,  with  push 
and  honest  purpose.  To  such  fortune  stands  upon  the  Con- 
tinental Divide,  with  winning  smile  and  outstretched  arms;  to 
such  Wyoming  extends  a  hearty  greeting  and  a  co-operative 
hand. 


io  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

Population  by  Counties. 

Increase 
1900.  1890.     Since  1890. 

Albany 13,084             8,865  4,219 

Big  Horn 4,328             4,328 

Carbon 9,589            6,857  2,732 

Converse 3,337             2,738  599 

Crook 3,137            2,338  799 

Fremont    5,357             2,463  2,894 

Johnson 2,361             2,357  4 

Laramie 20,181           16,777  3,4<H 

Natrona I>7&5             1,094  691 

Sheridan 5,122             !,972  3>15° 

Sweetwater 8,455            4,941  3»5H 

Uinta 12,223             7,88i  4,342 

Weston 3,203            2,422  781 

Yellowstone  Park 369             369 


Totals 92,53!          60,705          31,826 

From  reliable  sources  of  information,  it  is  estimated  that 
the  State's  population  has  increased  since  the  last  census  to 
125,000. 


Yellowstone   National  Park, 

THE  WONDERLAND  OF  AMERICA. 


If  all  the  other  resources  of  Wyoming  could  fail,  the  world 
would  still  know  of  her  through  the  Yellowstone  National  Park. 

The  park  was  discovered  by  John  Colter  in  1807,  but  its 
final  disclosure  to  the  world  was  the  work  of  three  exploring 
parties  in  the  years  1869,  1870  and  1871.  It  was  finally  re- 
served as  a  national  park  by  act  of  Congress  in  1872.  It  lies 
in  the  northwest  corner  of  Wyoming;  is  sixty-two  miles  long 
by  fifty-four  miles  wide.  Its  government  and  control  is  under 
the  special  authority  of  the  federal  government. 

The  scenery  of  the  park  is  not  equalled  by  anything  in  the 
world.  It  is  too  grand,  its  scope  too  immense,  its  details  too 


YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK.  n 

varied  and  minute,  to  admit  of  even  an  attempt  at  its  descrip- 
tion within  these  pages,  for  nearly  every  form,  animate  or  in- 
animate, dream  or  fancy,  ever  seen  or  conjectured  by  the  imag- 
ination, may  here  be  seen.  Its  colors  and  blended  tints  baffle 
the  artist's  brush,  and  language  is  inadequate  for  its  portrayal. 
It  is  here  in  this  vast  solitude  that  one  stands  in  silent  awe  and 
hears  the  deep  diapason  of  her  mightiest  and  most  mysterious 
anthem  as  it  swells  out  into  thunder  tones  or  sinks  into  sweet- 
est, softest  melodies.  Here,  too,  is  found  all  in  nature  that  is 
chastely  beautiful,  hidden  away  in  some  dim-lighted  alcove  or 
bower,  while  all  about  is  the  grim-visaged  and  towering 
strength  of  the  silent  mountain  sentinel.  The  eye  is  never 
weary,  for  the  scene  is  ever  shifting,  ever  becoming  more  and 
more  beautiful,  grand,  imposing  and  impressive.  Here  all  is 
quiet,  rest,  beauty,  sublimity. 

Placed  as  it  is  upon  the  very  apex  of  the  continent,  its 
seasons  are  "July,  August  and  Winter."  In  the  summer,  July 
and  August,  the  long-imprisoned  vegetation  bursts  into  full 
life  and  beauty,  and  in  this  short  period  occur  the  changes 
which  require  months  in  lower  altitudes.  The  average  snow- 
fall, from  November  to  April,  is  ten  feet. 

The  tourist  season  lasts  from  June  until  October,  and  no- 
where can  be  found  a  more  delightful  summer  climate.  Every 
year  shows  an  increase  in  the  tourist  travel  to  this  region, 
which  the  government  so  wisely  controls  and  protects  for  the 
enjoyment  of  the  public.  The  park  can  be  reached  by  wagon 
routes,  which  make  very  pleasant  camping  trips  through  beau- 
tiful and  diversified  scenic  country.  Probably  the  most  pic- 
turesque route  is  from  Cody  on  the  B.  &  M.  railroad,  from 
which  point  a  new  road  has  been  constructed  by  the  govern- 
ment. This  trip  is  fifty  miles  long,  and  can  be  made  on  beau- 
tiful tally-ho  coaches  managed  by  Colonel  Cody  (Buffalo 
Bill).  Tourists  can  stop  over  midway  and  rest  and  fish  for  the 
speckled  trout,  and  also  make  side  trips  into  the  famous  Jackson 
Hole  country.  The  scenery  on  this  route  equals,  if  it  does  not 
surpass,  anything  in  the  Alps.  Guides  and  camping  outfits  can 
be  obtained  at  Cody,  and  this  makes  a  very  pleasant  method  of 
seeing  the  park. 

The  park  can  also  be  reached  from  Rawlins  on  the  Union 
Pacific  railroad  through  the  Shoshone  Indian  reservation ;  also 
from  Casper  on  the  F.  E.  &  M.  V.  railroad  through  the  Indian 
reservation. 

Many  visitors  choose  a  northern  entrance,  coming  by  way 
of  the  Northern  Pacific  to  Livingstone  on  the  main  line;  thence 
a  branch  road  fifty  miles  long  drops  almost  directly  south  to, 
Cinnabar,  Montana,  eight  miles  from  Mammoth  Hot  Springs, 


12  THE  STATE;  OF  WYOMING. 

Wyoming,  and  Fort  Yellowstone,  where  the  itinerary  of  the 
tourist  choosing  this  route  commences. 

The  trip  as  planned  by  the  Yellowstone  Park  Transpor- 
tation Company  occupies  five  days,  and  includes  the  main 
points  of  interest,  but  each  hotel  may  become  the  center  of 
enjoyable  side  trips,  if  the  visitor  has  time  and  means  to  tarry. 

The  Union  Pacific  and  its  branch,  the  Oregon  Short  Line, 
bring  the  traveler  to  Monida,  a  station  on  the  boundary  of 
Montana  and  Idaho.  Here  he  exchanges  the  Pullman  for  the 
modern  Concord  coach,  which  the  Monida  and  Yellowstone 
Stage  Company  has  in  readiness  for  him.  Although  a  day's 
ride  from  the  boundary  of  the  park,  a  tourist  is  seldom  found 
who  cares  to  forget  that  first  day's  coaching.  The  invigorating 
air,  the  ever-changing  view  of  mountain  and  lake,  good  horses, 
a  good  driver  and  good  meals  at  every  station,  combine  to 
drive  into  the  background  the  cares  of  his  workaday  life.  This 
route  connects  with  the  belt  line  at  the  Fountain  Hotel  in  the 
Lower  Geyser  Basin. 

All  stage  lines  are  equipped  with  the  best  and  most  modern 
coaches.  Necessary  hand  baggage  is  carried,  and  trunks  are 
stored  free  of  charge.  Parties  coming  in  by  one 'route  and  de- 
siring to  leave  by  the  other  may  have  their  baggage  transferred 
without  cost. 

Hotel  rates  are  four  dollars  per  day.  There  are  four  mod- 
ern hotels,  with  electric  light,  baths  and  telegraphic  communi- 
cation with  all  parts  of  the  world.  These  are  so  situated  that 
coa.ches  reach  them  before  an  early  dinner  hour  and  leave  after 
breakfast.  The  midday  meal  is  procured  at  lunch  stations  con- 
veniently placed  between  the  hotels. 

The  Wylie  Camping  Company  furnishes  still  another  way 
of  doing  the  park.  It  stands  in  about  the  same  relation  to  the 
two  just  described  that  an  accommodation  train  does  to  the 
Pullman  flyer.  One  travels  the  same  road  and  has  the  same 
views,  but  from  a  two-horse  spring  wagon  instead  of  a  four- 
horse  Concord  coach.  He  sleepes  in  a  tent,  dines  from  a  camp 
table,  and  pays  thirty-five  dollars  for  his  week  in  the  park. 

Last  of  all  comes  the  independent  camper,  who  cooks  his 
meals  in  the  geyser  wells,  finds  plenty  of  suitable  camping 
places,  and  may  have  a  very  good  time  with  small  expense,  if 
he  is  careful  to  quench  his  camp  fire,  and  keeps  his  dog  tied 
under  the  wagon,  or,  better  still,  leaves  him  at  home. 

The  government  is  spending  large  sums  of  money  in  the 
construction  of  wagon  roads  leading  from  the  south  and  east ; 
the  former  from  Fort  Washakie  to  Jackson  Lake,  directly  south 
of  the  park.  From  this  point  a  good  road  connects  with  the 
belt  line  at  Yellowstone  Lake.  The  traveler  taking  this  route 


YELLOWSTONE  NATIONAL  PARK.  13 

passes  within  the  shadow  of  the  Grand  Teton  and  along  the 
margin  of  Jackson  Lake,  a  combination  of  water  and  mountain 
scenery  unsurpassed  for  grandeur  and  beauty. 

As  the  United  States  has  sole  and  exclusive  jurisdiction 
over  the  park,  its  protection  and  improvement  are  under  the 
direction  of  government  officers.  Fort  Yellowstone,  located 
at  Mammoth  Hot  Springs,  is  a  two-troop  cavalry  post.  The 
commanding  officer  is  the  acting  superintendent  of  the  park. 
The  United  States  Commissioner,  who  has  civil  jurisdiction 
of  all  crimes  and  offenses  committed  within. the  park,  is  sta- 
tioned here.  There  are  also  ten  outposts  throughout  the  park, 
at  each  of  which  are  stationed  a  non-commissioned  officer  and 
a  small  squad  of  men,  who  patrol  the  entire  area  of  the  park 
both  summer  and  winter. 

All  roads  are  constructed  and  kept  in  repair  at  the  expense 
of  the  government.  The  road  leading  south  from  Mammoth 
Hot  Springs  at  Norris  Geyser  Basin,  twenty  miles  from  Mam- 
moth Hot  Springs,  intersects  the  belt  line,  which  describes  a 
circle  of  one  hundred  miles,  and  upon  which  is  situated  nearly 
all  the  most  prominent  points  of  interest.  Twenty  miles  of 
the  one  hundred  can  be  covered  by  steamer  across  Yellowstone 
Lake,  if  the  traveler  so  elects,  for  an  extra  fare  of  three  dollars. 

The  English  language  is  rich  in  adjectives,  and  all  have 
been  brought  into  service,  but  failed  to  picture  the  park.  In 
spite  of  the  attempts  of  the  word  painter,  it  has  not  been  de- 
scribed. Each  one  must  see  for  himself  to  appreciate  the  gen- 
erosity of  Mother  Nature,  who  has  planned  entertainment  for 
every  mood  of  every  character.  The  poet  may  find  his  theme, 
the  artist  an  inexhaustible  supply  of  studies,  the  scientist  a 
rich  field  for  work.  The  lover  of  the  grotesque  will  linger  in 
the  hoodoos.  The  mud  geyser  will  satisfy  a  craving  for  the 
horrible.  Spluttering  pools  and  boiling  springs  will  testify  that 
the  stokers  of  the  lower  regions  are  never  off  duty.  The  gey- 
sers bear  a  family  resemblance  to  one  another,  but  each  has  an 
individuality  in  cone  and  action.  The  Grand  Canon,  with  its 
many  hued  walls,  might  alone  invite  the  world  to  be  its  guest. 
Fish  are  waiting  to  be  caught,  but  deer  and  other  game  seem 
to  realize  that  they  are  the  wards  of  the  government,  and  only 
pose  for  the  admiration  or  the  camera  of  the  visitor.  Bears 
never  fail  to  furnish  the  after  dinner  amusement  at  the  hotels. 


14  THE  STATE;  OF  WYOMING. 


Lands. 


There  are  two  kinds  of  lands — State  and  Government. 

The  non-mineral  land  laws,  which  have  been  of  the  great- 
est benefit  to  the  arid  West,  are  the  pre-emption,  homestead, 
desert  land  and  Carey  act.  The  pre-emption  act  has  been  re- 
pealed. 

Under  the  homestead  act,  settlement  on  a  tract  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres,  or  less,  is  required  for  five  years,  when 
title  passes  to  the  settler  without  any  money  consideration,  or 
after  fourteen  months'  actual  settlement  the  title  may  be  ob- 
tained by  the  payment  of  one  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents 
per  acre. 

Under  the  desert  land  act,  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
may  be  acquired  within  three  years  by  the  expenditure  of  three 
dollars  per  acre  in  improvements,  water  rights  and  cultivation, 
and  the  payment  to  the  government  of  one  dollar  and  twenty- 
five  cents  per  acre. 

Other  acts  grant  to  the  States  for  aid  in  the  support  of 
public  schools,  sections  sixteen  and  thirty-six  in  each  township. 
This  grant  amounts  in  Wyoming  to  3,001,905  acres.  There  is 
also  given  the  State  five  per  cent,  of  all  money  received  by  the 
general  government  for  the  sale  of  its  lands  in  Wyoming.  The 
interest  on  this  fund  is  used  in  aid  of  the  support  of  the  school. 

There  have  also  been  granted  to  Wyoming  663,080  acres 
for  aid  in  support  of  her  several  institutions,  such  as  the  Uni- 
versity, Agricultural  College,  Hospital,  Insane  Asylum,  Pen- 
itentiary, Soldiers'  Home,  etc. 

The  rental  of  these  lands,  which  are  mostly  pasture  lands, 
bringing  an  average  rental  of  three  cents  per  acre,  and  the  in- 
terest upon  the  fund  realized  from  their  sale,  at  not  less  than 
ten  dollars  per  acre,  is  used  in  aid  of  the  maintenance  of  these 
institutions. 

STATE  LANDS— HOW  THEY  MAY  BE  ACQUIRED. 

There  are  two  classes  of  State  lands  : 

First — Those  donated  to  the  State  for  various  public  pur- 
poses, and  over  which  the  State  has  absolute  control. 

Second — Those  known  as  "arid  lands,"  whose  donation  to 
the  State  is  conditional  upon  their  reclamation. 


LANDS.  15 

Under  the  provisions  of  the  constitution  and  statutes,  the 
State  Board  of  Land  Commissioners,  consisting  of  the  Gov- 
ernor, Secretary  of  State,  State  Treasurer  and  Superintendent 
of  Public  Instruction,  have  the  direction,  control,  disposition 
and  care  of  all  lands  granted  to  the  State. 

First — Those  donated  to  the  State  for  various  public  pur- 
poses, and  over  which  the  State  has  absolute  control. 

May  Be  Sold. — The  act  of  admission  provides  that  all  school 
lands,  including  the  grant  for  the  use  of  the  Agricultural  Col- 
lege, shall  be  sold  for  not  less  than  ten  dollars  per  acre.  The 
constitution  provides  further  that  lands  heretofore  and  here- 
after acquired  shall  be  sold  for  not  less  than  ten  dollars  per 
acre,  and  that  such  lands  shall  be  disposed  of  at  public  auction, 
providing,  also,  that  actual  and  bona  fide  settlers  shall  have 
the  preference  right  to  purchase  in  tracts  not  exceeding  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres. 

May  Be  Leased. — The  State  Board  of  Land  Commissioners 
lease  any  legal  subdivision  of  the  lands  of  the  State  at  an  an- 
nual rental  not  less  than  five  per  cent,  of  the  valuation  thereof, 
fixed  by  the  board,  conditioned  upon  the  payment  of  the  rent 
annually  and  in  advance,  and  for  periods  of  not  more  than  five 
years.  When  any  lease  expires  by  limitation  the  lessee  may, 
with  the  permission  of  the  board,  renew  the  same  as  follows: 
At  any  time  within  ninety  days  next  preceding  the  expiration 
of  the  lease  the  lessee  or  his  assigns  shall  notify  the  Register 
of  his  or  their  desire  to  renew  the  lease.  If  the  lessee  and  the 
board  be  agreed  as  to  the  valuation  of  the  land,  a  new  lease 
shall  be  issued,  bearing  even  date  with  the  expiration  of  the  old 
one,  and  upon  like  conditions. 

The  power  given  to  the  board  to  refuse  to  renew  a  lease  or 
to  sell  State  lands  at  the  expiration  of  a  lease,  or  again  to  lease 
to  other  parties  than  the  original  lessee,  shall  not  apply,  when- 
ever the  original  lessee  of  the  State  lands,  or  his  assigns,  shall 
have,  during  the  period  of  his  lease,  or  prior  thereto,  reclaimed 
the  same  by  irrigation,  and  shall  have  provided  suitable  ditches 
for  its  full  and  complete  reclamation,  and  shall  have  secured 
an  adequate  and  perpetual  water  supply  for  said  land ;  then, 
and  in  that  case,  the  original  lessee  shall  have  the  right  to  re- 
new such  lease  for  a  term  of  five  years,  which  renewal  may  be 
repeated  for  the  same  period  five  years  thereafter,  and  may 
again  be  repeated  for  the  same  period  ten  years  thereafter,  mak- 
ing a  total  period  not  to  exceed  twenty  years ;  provided,  that 
each  of  said  renewals  shall  be  dependent  upon  the  continuous 
irrigation  and  cultivation  of  at  least  forty  acres  in  every  one 


16  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

hundred  and  sixty  of  said  land,  and  in  case  the  lessee  shall  have 
failed  to  cultivate  the  said  land,  then  said  board  shall  have  the 
authority  to  refuse  to  renew  the  lease,  as  hereinbefore  provided. 

The  lessee  of  State  lands  is  prohibited,  in  all  cases,  from 
cutting  or  using  more  of  the  timber  thereon  than  shall  be 
necessary  for  the  improvement  of  such  lands,  or  for  fuel  for 
use  of  the  family  of  the  lessee,  and  from  the  cutting  and  haul- 
ing of  timber  from  leased  State  lands  to  saw  mills. 

Any  lease  of  State  lands  procured  by  fraud,  deceit  or  mis- 
representation may  be  cancelled  by  the  board  upon  proper 
proof  thereof.  , 

The  necessary  blanks  will  be  supplied  any  person  desir- 
ing to  lease  State  lands,  upon  application  to  the  Register  of 
the  State  Board  of  Land  Commissioners. 

Acreage  of  State  Lands  Leased  in  Each  County  and  Revenue 
Derived  Therefrom  in  1902. 

Acreage.  Rental. 

Albany 136,800.11         $  5,832.57 

Big  Horn 192,585.01  9,440.12 

Carbon 187,968.70  8,144.12 

Converse 333-547-65  12,959.59 

Crook 161,247.85  5-995-73 

Fremont 145,864.78  6,147.14 

Johnson 126,771.11  5,541.32 

Laramie 370,487.60  13-607.55 

Natrona 207,905.97  7,716.36 

Sheridan 188,875.31  9-395-45 

Sweetwater 42,078.57  2,127.95 

Uinta 101,450.63  5.056.48 

Weston 103,918.18  3,960.92 


Totals 2,302,501.47         $95-925-30 

Second — Those  Known  as  Arid  Lands  Whose  Donation  to 
the  State  Is  Conditional  Upon  Their  Reclamation. 

The  act  of  Congress  approved  August  18,  1894,  donated  to 
the  State  of  Wyoming,  conditional  upon  its  reclamation,  one 
million  acres  of  arid  land.  The  State  of  Wyoming  accepted 
the  conditions  of  the  grant,  and  by  Chapter  15,  Title  9,  of 
Division  i  of  the  Revised  Statutes,  provided  for  its  reclama- 
tion, occupation  and  disposal.  The  general  provisions  of  this 
law  are  as  follows : 

Request  and  Proposal. — Any  person,  or  company  of  per- 
sons, having  constructed  or  desiring  to  construct  ditches,  ca- 


LANDS.  17 

nals  or  other  irrigation  works  to  reclaim  lands  under  the  pro- 
visions of  this  act,  shall  file  with  the  State  Board  of  Land 
Commissioners  a  request  for  the  selection  of  the  land  to  be 
reclaimed,  and  accompany  this  request  with  a  proposal  to  con- 
struct the  ditch,  canal  or  other  irrigation  works  necessary  for 
the  complete  reclamation  of  the  land  asked  to  be  selected,  and 
shall  make  clear  to  the  board  their  financial  ability  to  carry  out 
the  proposed  undertaking. 

Guaranty. — A  certified  check  for  such  sum  as  may  be  de- 
termined by  the  board  shall  accompany  each  request  and  pro- 
posal as  a  guarantee  that  a  contract  with  the  State  will  be  en- 
tered into  according  to  its  terms. 

Maps  and  Field  Notes. — An  accurate  survey  must  be  made 
and  maps  and  field  notes  furnished  the  board,  with  a  certified 
copy  of  a  permit  from  the  State  Engineer  to  appropriate  wa- 
ter for  the  reclamation  of  the  land  described. 

Terms  of  Contract — With  State  for  Construction — With 
Settler  for  Land  and  Water — Bond. — Upon  the  withdrawal  of 
the  land  by  the  Department  of  the  Interior,  it  shall  be  the  duty 
of  the  board  to  enter  into  a  contract  with  the  parties  submit- 
ting the  proposal,  which  contract  shall  contain  complete  spec- 
ifications of  the  location,  dimensions,  character  and  estimated 
cost  of  the  proposed  ditch,  canal  or  other  irrigation  works; 
the  price  per  acre  and  terms  at  which  such  works  and  per- 
petual water  rights  shall  be  sold  to  settlers ;  provided,  that 
such  price  and  terms  for  irrigation  works  and  water  rights 
shall  in  all  cases  be  reasonable  and  just.  This  contract  shall 
not  be  entered  into  on  the  part  of  the  State  until  a  satisfactory 
bond  is  filed  by  the  proposed  contractor  for  irrigation  works, 
which  bond  shall  be  in  a  penal  sum  equal  to -five  per  cent,  of 
the  estimated  cost  of  the  works. 

Time  Allowed  for  Construction. — Xo  contract  shall  be 
made  by  the  board  which  requires  a  greater  time  than  five 
years  for  the  construction  of  the  works,  and  all  contracts  shall 
state  that  the  work  shall  begin  within  six  months  from  the 
date  of  contract ;  that  at  least  one-tenth  of  the  construction 
work  shall  be  completed  within  two  years  from  the  date  of  said 
contract,  and  that  construction  shall  be  prosecuted  diligently 
and  continuously  to  completion.  Upon  failure  of  contractors 
to  complete  ditch  or  canal  under  contract,  the  Land  Board  may 

sell  any  such  incomplete  works  at  auction. 

• 

Application  for  Entry — Cost  of  Lands. — Any  citizen  of  the 
L'nited  States,  or  any  person  having  declared  his  intention  to 


i8  THE;  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

become  a  citizen  of  the  United  States  (excepting  married 
women  not  the  heads  of  families),  over  the  age  of  twenty-one 
years,  may  make  application,  under  oath,  to  the  board  to  enter 
any  of  said  land  in  any  amount  not  to  exceed  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  for  any  one  person.  Such  application  must  be  ac- 
companied by  a  certified  copy  of  the  contract  for  a  perpetual 
water  right  made  and  entered  into  by  the  person  making  ap- 
plication with  the  persons,  company  or  association  who  has 
been  authorized  by  the  board  to  furnish  water  for  the  reclama- 
tion of  said  lands.  All  applications  for  entry  shall  be  accom- 
panied by  a  payment  of  twenty-five  cents  per  acre,  which  shall 
be  paid  as  a  partial  payment  on  the  land,  if  the  application  is 
allowed.  If  the  application  is  not  allowed,  the  twenty-five 
cents  per  accre  accompanying  it  shall  be  returned  to  the  ap- 
plicant; provided,  that  where  the  construction  company  fails 
to  furnish  water  to  any  settler  under  the  provisions  of  its  con- 
tract with  the  State,  the  State  shall  refund  to  such  settler  all 
paymens  that  he  shall  have  made  to  the  State.  The  board  shall 
dispose  of  all  lands  accepted  under  the  provisions  of  this  act 
at  a  uniform  price  of  fifty  cents  per  acre,  half  to  be  paid  at  the 
time  of  entry  and  the  remainder  at  the  time  of  making  final 
proof  by  the  settler. 

Reclamation — When  to  Begin — Final  Proof. — Within  one 
year  after  any  person  or  company  of  persons  authorized  to  con- 
struct irrigation  works  under  the  provisions  of  this  act  shall 
have  notified  the  settlers  under  such  works  that  they  are  pre- 
pared to  furnish  water  under  the  terms  of  their  contract  with 
the  State,  the  said  settler  shall  cultivate  and  reclaim  not  less 
than  one-sixteenth  part  of  the  land  filed  upon,  and  within  two 
years  after  the  said  notice  the  said  settler  shall  have  actually 
irrigated  and  cultivated  not  less  than  one-eighth  of  the  land 
filed  upon,  and  within  three  years  from  the  date  of  said  notice 
the  settler  shall  make  final  proof  of  reclamation,  settlement  and 
occupation,  which  proof  shall  embrace  evidence  that  he  has  a 
perpetual  water  right  for  his  entire  tract  of  land  sufficient  in 
volume  for  the  complete  irrigation  and  reclamation  thereof, 
and  that  he  is  an  actual  settler  thereon. 

Patents — Water  Rights  Appurtenant. — The  water  rights 
to  all  lands  acquired  under  the  provisions  of  this  act  shall  at- 
tach to  and  become  appurtenant  to  the  land  as  soon  as  title 
passes  from  the  United  States  to  the  State. 

*  Fees. — The  board  shall  collect  the  following  fees :  For 
filing  each  application,  one  dollar;  for  filing  each  final  proof, 
one  dollar  ;  for  issuing  each  patent,  one  dollar ;  for  making  cer- 


LANDS.  19 

tified  copies  of  papers  or  records,  the  same  fee  as  provided  for 
to  be  charged  by  the  Secretary  of  State  for  like  services.  The 
money  collected  for  fees  shall  be  paid  to  the  Treasurer  of  the 
State,  and  by  him  credited  to  the  fund  created  by  virtue  of 
this  act. 

The  method  of  operating  under  this  act  and  the  State 
statute  is  as  follows:  An  individual  or  corporation  obtains  a 
water  right  from  the  State  Engineer  and  enters  into  a  contract 
with  the  State  Land  Board  to  construct  a  ditch  for  the  irriga- 
tion of  any  number  of  acres,  usually  of  from  10,000  to  250,000, 
when  this  contract  is  approved  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior, 
the  lands  are  withdrawn  from  entry  under  the  other  national 
land  acts  and  become  subject  to  entry  under  the  State  law,  when 
the  ditch  is  completed.  The  actual  settler  files  with  the  State 
Land  Board  an  application  for  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  or 
less,  pays  the  State  twenty-five  cents  per  acre  at  the  date  of 
filing,  purchases  a  perpetual  water  right  from  the  builder  of 
the  ditch — these  perpetual  water  rights  sell  for  from  ten  to 
fifteen  dollars  per  acre  in  ten  annual  payments — he  then  has 
three  years  within  which  to  irrigate  and  reclaim  not  less  than 
twenty  acres  of  land ;  whenever  this  is  done  he  makes  proof 
thereof  to  the  State  Board,  pays  the  State  an  additional  twenty- 
five  cents  per  acre  and  receives  a  patent  for  his  land.  The  pur- 
chasers of  the  water  rights  become  stockholders  in  the  main 
ditch,  and,  when  all  the  water  rights  are  sold,  the  irrigation 
works  are  owned  by  the  settlers  themselves  and  the  original 
builder  steps  out  reimbursed  for  his  time  and  money  expended, 
if  he  has  handled  the  project  economically  and  on  business 
principles. 

The  moneys  received  by  the  State  for  the  lands  at  fifty 
cents  per  acre  create  a  fund  for  the  reclamation  of  other  lands 
by  the  State  itself. 

This  act  is  now  proving  to  be  the  most  beneficial  to  this 
State  of  any  of  the  land  acts,  and  probably  more  so  to  this  than 
to  any  other  State,  for  the  reasons  : 

First — This  State  of  all  the  arid  States  has  the  best  irriga- 
tion laws  for  all  kinds  of  irrigation  projects,  and  especially  for 
those  under  the  Carey  act. 

Secondly — Because  the  State  Land  Board  has  taken  spe- 
cial and  practical  interest  in  furthering  the  State's  interests 
under  this  act ;  and, 

Third — Because  the  State  and  National  governments  are 
behind  the  act  and  afford  perfect  protection  for  the  capital  in- 
vested and  to  the  settler  for  the  title  to  his  land  the  perpetuity 
of  his  water  right.  There  is  no  possibility  of  any  fake  scheme 
whereby  the  individual  investors  or  the  settlers  can  lose.  For 


20  THE;  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

these  reasons  and  the  fact  that  the  soil,  climate  and  altitude  of 
Wyoming  are  especially  adapted  to  the  most  profitable  crops 
•as  the  result  of  irrigation,  this  State  has  accomplished  more 
under  this  act  than  has  any  other  of  the  arid  States,  and  the 
act  is  accomplishing  more  for  the  settlement  and  growth  in 
wealth  of  the  State  and  the  furnishing  of  homes  for  the  poor 
than  any  other  land  act  of  the  general  government.  Homes 
worth  fifty  dollars  per  acre  are  obtainable  for  ten  dollars  and 
fifty  cents  per  acre,  and  capital  invested  is  assured  a  fair  profit. 

Under  the  Carey  arid  land  act.  the  State  of  Wyoming  has 
segregated  and  has  contracted  for  the  reclamation  of  556,593.39 
acres.  Different  tracts  of  lands  are  watered  and  to  be  watered 
•as  follows : 

Big  Horn  County — Shoshone  Irrigation  Company,  24,- 
562.55  acres;  Big  Horn  Basin  Development  Company,  28,- 
729.13  acres ;  Big  Horn  Colonization  Company,  21,077.28  acres  ; 
Hanover  Canal  Company,  10,800  acres;  Newton  Canal  Com- 
pany, 784.43  acres;  Cody  &  Salisbury  Canal,  80,000  acres; 
Oregon  Basin  Reservoir  and  Canal  Company,  200,000  acres; 
Lovell  Irrigation  Company,  12,000  acres;  Big  Horn  County 
Canal,  17,000  acres. 

Fremont  County — Fisher  Canal,  320  acres ;  Boulder  Lake 
Canal  Company,  6,500  acres. 

Converse  County — Fitzsimmons  Ditch,  160  acres;  John 
Scott  Ditch,  160  acres. 

Uinta  County — Uinta  County  Canal  Xo.  2,  12,500  acres. 

Laramie  County — North  Platte  Canal  and  Colonization 
Company,  15,000  acres;  North  Platte  Canal  and  Reservoir 
Company,  27,000  acres;  Wyoming  Development  Company, 
100,000  acres. 

Persons  desiring  information  with  regard  to  the  acquisition 
of  land  with  perpetual  water  rights  under  these  several  canals 
may  obtain  same  by  addressing  the  following  persons :  George 
T.  Beck,  Secretary,  Shoshone  Irrigation  Company,  Cody,  Wyo- 
ming :  S.  L.  Wiley,  President,  Big  Horn  Basin  Development 
Company,  413  New  York  Life  Building,  Omaha,  Nebraska; 
C.  F.  Robertson,  Secretary,  Hanover  Canal  Company,  601 
National  Bank  Building,  Omaha,  Nebraska;  Colonel  W.  F. 
Cody,  President,  Cody  &  Salisbury  Canal  Company,  Cody, 
Wyoming ;  Charles  A.  Guernsey,  Manager,  Oregon  Basin  Res- 
ervoir and  Canal  Company,  Cheyenne,  Wyoming;  W.  S. 
Adams,  President,  Boulder  Lake  Canal  Company,  Saratoga, 
Wyoming;  D.  C.  Patterson,  President,  Uinta  Canal  No.  2, 
Patterson  Building,  Omaha,  Nebraska ;  H.  D.  Lingle,  Presi- 
dent, North  Platte  Canal  and  Colonization  Company,  Torring- 
ton,  Wyoming;  Fred  E.  Coe,  President,  North  Platte  Canal 


LANDS.  21 

and  Reservoir  Company,  635  Seventeenth  Street,  Denver,  Col- 
orado; \\yoming  Development  Company,  Cheyenne,  Wyo- 
ming. 

Large  deposits  of  coal,  sold  at  one  dollar  and  twenty-five 
cents  per  ton  at  the  mine,  are  accessible  to  all  the  tracts  now 
being  reclaimed,  or  proposed  to  be  reclaimed. 

GOVERNMENT  LANDS. 

The  area  of  Wyoming  is  97,883  square  miles,  or  '62,433,280 
acres.  Of  this  vast  area,  59,454,912  acres  are  surveyed  and 
2,978,368  acres  are  unsurveyed. 

The  public  lands  vacant  and  subject  to  entry  and  settle- 
ment in  the  State,  according  to  the  last  report  received  from 
the  United  States  General  Land  Office,  were :  Surveyed  lands, 
40,804,945  acres ;  unsurveyed  lands,  2,978,368  acres ;  total,  43,- 
783,313  acres. 

Unappropriated  lands  of  the  United  States  in  the  State  of 
Wyoming,  as  comprised  in  the  several  counties,  are  as  follows : 

Albany 1,572,065  acres 

Big  Horn 5,245,709  acres 

Carbon 3,346,696  acres 

Converse 3,824,016  acres 

Crook 2,873,800  acres 

Fremont 4,907,494  acres 

Johnson 2,296,630  acres 

Laramie ;  2,796,799  acres 

Natrona 3,212,252  acres 

Sheridan 1,111,982  acres 

Sweet  water '. 5,95 1 ,432  acres 

Uinta 4,193,519  acres 

Weston 2,450,919  acres 

The  public  lands  in  Wyoming  consist  chiefly  of  grazing, 
timber  and  agricultural  lands,  though  there  are  large  areas  of 
coal,  oil  and  mineral  lands. 

The  agricultural  lands  are  those  lying  contiguous  to  the 
rivers  and  streams,  and  are  vast  in  extent,  but  crops  cannot  be 
successfully  raised  without  irrigation.  By  the  application  of 
water  the  soil  is  rendered  very  productive  and  is  not  surpassed 
by  the  fertile  states  of  the  Mississippi  and  Missouri  valleys. 

The  laws  under  which  title  to  government  land  may  be 
acquired  by  citizens  of  the  United  States  are  the  homestead 
law,  the  desert  land  law,  the  timber  and  stone  law  and  the  coal 
and  mineral  law. 


22  THE  STATE;  OF  WYOMING. 

Homestead  Law. — The  homestead  law  secures  to  qualified 
persons  the  right  to  settle  upon,  enter  and  acquire  title  to  not 
exceeding  one  quarter  section  (one  hundred  and  sixty  acres)  of 
pubilc  land,  by  establishing  and  maintaining  residence  thereon 
and  improving  and  cultivating  the  land  for  the  period  of  five 
years.  A  homestead  entryman  must  be  the  head  of  a  family  or 
a  person  who  has  arrived  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years.  He 
must  be  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  or  one  who  has  declared 
his  intention  to  become  such,  as  required  by  the  naturalization 
laws.  The  act  of  March  3,  1891,  attaches  the  condition  that  he 
must  not  be  the  proprietor  of  more  than  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  in  any  State  or  Territory. 

The  class  of  lands  subject  to  entry  under  the  homestead 
laws  are  described  by  the  statute  as  unappropriated  public 
lands.  Parties  who  are  prevented,  by  reason  of  distance,  bodily 
infirmity  or  other  good  cause,  from  personal  attendance  at  the 
District  Land  Office,  may  make  the  preliminary  affidavits  for 
homestead  entries  within  the  county  in  which  they  reside  be- 
fore any  Commissioner  of  the  United  States  Court  having  juris- 
diction over  the  county  in  which  the  land  is  situated,  or  before 
the  Judge  or  Clerk  of  any  Court  of  Record  of  such  county, 
transmitting  the  same,  with  their  application  and  the  proper 
fees  and  commissions  to  the  Register  and  Receiver  of  the  Dis- 
trict Land  Office,  thus  permitting  entries  to  be  made  without 
personal  attendance  at  the  District  Land  Office.  Applicants 
availing  themselves  of  this  privilege  are  required  to  transmit 
with  their  application  an  affidavit  setting  forth  specifically  why 
they  cannot  appear  at  the  land  office. 

Where  a  wife  has  been  divorced  from  her  husband,  or  de- 
serted, so  that  she  is  dependent  upon  her  own  resources  for 
support,  she  can  make  a  homestead  entry  as  the  head  of  a  family 
or  femme  sole. 

A  single  woman  who  makes  a  homestead  entry  and  marries 
before  making  proof  does  not  forfeit  her  right,  provided  she 
does  not  abandon  her  residence  on  the  land  to  reside  elsewhere. 
Where  two  parties,  however,  unite  in  marriage,  each  having  an 
unperfected  homestead  entry,  both  entries  cannot  be  carried  to 
patent.  A  residence  elsewhere  than  on  the  land  entered  for 
more  than  six  months  is  treated  as  an  abandonment  of  a  home- 
stead entry. 

Parties  desiring  to  commute  their  homestead  entries  to 
cash  are  required  to  make  proof  of  settlement  and  of  residence 
on  and  cultivation  of  the  land  for  a  period  of  fourteen  months 
from  the  date  of  entry.  There  are  many  other  provisions  re- 
lating to  restoration  of  rights,  adjoining  homesteads,  soldiers' 
and  sailors'  homestead  rights,  additional  entries,  etc.,  too  numer- 
ous to  mention  in  the  space  of  this  brief  article. 


LANDS. 


The  following  is  a  table  of  fees  and  commissions  charged 
in  the  Mountain  states  under  the  homestead  act: 


COMMISSIONS 

Fees, 

Acres 

Class  of 
Lands 

Payable  when 
entry  is 

Payable  when 
certificate 

Payable  when 
entry  is 

Total 
sum 

made 

issues 

160 

$2.50* 

$12.00 

$12.00 

$10.00 

$34.00 

HO 

2.50* 

6.00 

6.00 

5.00 

17.00 

40 

2.50* 

3.00 

3.00 

5.00 

11.00 

100 

1.25t 

6.00 

6.00 

10.00 

22.00 

80 

1.25t 

:».oo 

3.00 

5.00 

11.00 

40 

1.25f 

1.50 

1.50 

5.00 

8.00 

*Inside  Union  Pacific  Land  Grant. 


tOutside  Union  Pacific  Land  Grant. 


Desert  Lands. — All  lands,  exclusive  of  timber  lands  and 
mineral  lands,  which  will  not,  without  artificial  irrigation,  pro- 
duce some  agricultural  crop,  are  deemed  desert  lands,  and  are 
subject  to  entry  under  the  desert  land  law.  The  party  making 
entry  is  required  at  the  time  of  filing  his  declaration  to  file  also 
a  map  of  the  land,  which  will  exhibit  a  plan  showing  the  mode 
of  contemplated  irrigation,  which  plan  shall  be  sufficient  to 
thoroughly  irrigate  and  reclaim  said  land  and  prepare  it  to  raise 
ordinary  agricultural  crops.  Persons  may  associate  together 
in  the  construction  of  canals  and  ditches  for  irrigating  and  re- 
claiming tracts  entered  or  proposed  to  be  entered  by  them,  and 
they  may  file  a  joint  map,  or  maps,  showing  their  plan  of  internal 
improvements.  No  person  is  permitted  to  enter  more  than  320 
acres  of  land  in  the  aggregate  under  all  the  land  laws  of  the 
United  States,  mineral  lands  excepted.  Parties  initiating  desert 
claims  are  required  to  show  observance  of  such  inhibition. 

The  right  to  make  desert  land  entries  is  restricted  to  resi- 
dent citizens  of  the  State  in  which  the  land  sought  is  located. 
Citizenship  and  residence  must  be  duly  shown.  The  entryman 
must  expend  at  least  three  dollars  per  acre,  one  dollar  per  acre 
during  each  year  for  three  years,  and  must  file  proof  thereof 
during  each  year,  such  proof  to  consist  of  his  affidavit,  corrob- 
orated by  the  affidavits  of  two  or  more  witnesses,  showing  that 
the  full  sum  of  one  dollar  per  acre  has  been  expended  during 
such  year  and  the  manner  in  which  expended,  and  at  the  ex- 
piration of  three  years  a  map  or  plan  showing  the  character  and 
extent  of  the  improvements.  Failure  to  file  the  required  proof 
during  any  year  shall  cause  the  land  to  revert  to  the  United 
States,  the  money  paid  to  be  forfeited  and  the  entry  to  be  can- 
celled. The  party  may  make  his  final  entry  and  receive  his  pat- 
ent at  any  time  prior  to  the  expiration  of  three  years  by  making 
required  proof  of  reclamation  and  of  the  expenditure  of  the 
aggregate  amount  of  three  dollars  per  acre,  and  of  the  culti- 
vation of  one-eighth  of  the  land.  Persons  making  desert  land 
entries  must  acquire  clear  right  to  the  use  of  sufficient  water 


24  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

for  the  purpose  of  irrigating  the  whole  of  the  land,  and  of  keep- 
ing it  permanently  irrigated.  Persons  making  desert  land 
entries  before  they  have  secured  a  water  right  do  so  at  their  own 
risk.  The  price  of  land  sought  to  be  entered  under  the  pro- 
visions of  the  desert  land  act  is  $1.25  per  acre,  without  regard  to 
the  situation  of  the  lands  in  regard  to  railroad  grants.  When 
proof  of  the  character  of  the  land  has  been  made  the  applicant 
will  pay  the  Receiver  twenty-five  cents  per  acre  for  the  land 
applied  for.  At  the  time  of  making  final  proof  the  payment  of 
one  dollar  per  acre  is  required. 

Timber  and  Stone  Entries. — The  act  of  June  3,  1878,  pro- 
vides that  surveyed  lands  in  the  public  land  States,  valuable 
chiefly  for  timber  and  stone,  unfit  for  cultivation,  and  conse- 
quently unfit  for  disposal  under  the  hometsead  and  desert  land 
laws,  may  be  purchased  by  individuals  and  by  associations  at 
the  minimum  price  of  $2.50  per  acre.  A  party  making  applica- 
tion to  purchase  a  tract  of  this  character  is  required  to  make 
affidavit  that  he  is  a  citizen  of  the  United  States  by  birth  or 
naturalization,  or  that  he  has  declared  his  intention  to  become  a 
citizen  under  the  naturalization  laws.  The  quantity  of  land 
which  may  be  acquired  lawfully  under  said  act  by  any  one 
person  or  association  is  limited  to  not  exceeding  160  acres, 
which  must  be  in  one  body. 

Coal. — A  qualified  person  has  the  right  to  enter  by  legal 
subdivision  any  quantity  of  coal  lands  in  the  United  States,  not 
otherwise  appropriated  or  reserved  by  competent  authority, 
not  exceeding  160  acres  to  such  individual  person  or  320  acres  to 
an  association,  upon  payment  to  the  government  of  not  less 
than  $10  per  acre  for  such  lands,  where  the  same  shall  be  sit- 
uated more  than  fifteen  miles  from  any  completed  railroad,  and 
not  less  than  $20  per  acre  for  such  lands  as  shall  be  within  fif- 
teen miles  of  such  road.  A  party  or  association  having  opened 
and  improved  any  coal  mine,  or  mines,  upon  the  public  lands, 
and  who  shall  be  in  actual  possession  of  the  same,  is  entitled 
to  a  preference  right  of  entry,  and  it  is  provided  that  when  any 
association  of  not  less  than  four  persons,  duly  qualified  as  pro- 
vided by  law,  shall  have  expended  not  less  than  $5,000  in  work- 
ing and  improving  any  coal  mine,  or  mines,  such  association 
may  enter  not  exceeding  640  acres,  including  such  mining 
improvements. 

Mines  and  Mineral  Lands. — Lands  valuable  for  deposits  of 
mineral,  such  as  fire  and  pottery  clay,  marble,  asphalt,  soda,  sul- 
phur, diamonds,  or  of  the  precious  common  metals,  are  subject 
to  sale  under  the  mining  laws.  A  location  must  be  first  duly 
made  and  recorded,  and  certain  sums  must  be  annually  ex- 
pended. Five  hundred  dollars'  worth  of  labor  and  improve- 


WATER.  25 

ments  must  be  laid  out  on  each  claim  before  patent  can  be  ap- 
plied for.  The  rules  and  regulations  and  methods  of  procedure 
are  too  extensive  and  complex  to  be  reviewed  at  length  in  the 
compass  of  this  brief  article.  Mining  locations  defeat  all  rail- 
road and  State  selections,  if  the  mines  and  minerals  were  known 
to  exist,  or  were  discovered  prior  to  the  time  the  road  and  State 
claims  took  effect.  Homestead,  desert  and  timber  and  stone 
entries  cannot  embrace  known  mineral  lands,  unless  it  be  first 
shown  that  the  lands  sought  to  be  entered  are  more  valuable 
for  agricultural  purposes  than  for  the  mineral  they  contain. 

The  United  States  land  offices  for  the  several  districts  in 
Wyoming  are  as  follows :  Albany,  Carbon  and  Laramie  Coun- 
ties, and  a  few  townships  in  Southeastern  Sweetwater  and 
Southeastern  Fremont  County,  at  Cheyenne,  Wyo. ;  Sweet- 
water  and  Uinta  Counties,  at  Evanstan,  Wyo. ;  Fremont  and 
Big  Horn  Counties,  at  Lander ;  Johnson,  Sheridan  and  a  small 
portion  of  Eastern  Big  Horn  County,  at  Buffalo;  Crook  and 
Weston,  at  Sundance :  Converse  and  Xatrona,  at  Douglas. 


Water. 


How  to   Secure   Water  for   Irrigation   and   Other   Beneficial 

Purposes. 

As  the  future  agricultural  development  of  the  State  rests 
largely  upon  the  prudent  and  economical  use  and  distribution 
of  its  water  supply,  it  has  been  deemed  a  wise  step  to  establish 
a  State  department  under  an  efficient  officer,  the  State  Engineer, 
who  exercises,  through  a  Board  of  Control,  careful  supervision 
of  the  use  and  distribution  of  the  waters  of  the  State.  From  this 
department  have  been  issued  to  persons  desiring  to  apply  for 
permits  to  appropriate  water,  brief  instructions,  of  which  the 
following  is  a  copy : 

Applications. — Applications  must  be  made  upon  the  blank 
form  approved  by  the  State  Engineer.  Applications  to  enlarge 
existing  ditches,  or  to  increase  the  acreage  watered  therefrom, 
must  be  made  on  an  enlargement  blank.  In  giving  dimensions, 
remember  the  following : 

"Width  on  top"  is  the  width  at  surface  water  line.  Depth 
is  the  depth  of  water  the  ditch  or  canal  is  to  carry. 

The  area  to  be  irrigated  must  be  given ;  where  not  mea- 
sured, an  estimate  must  be  made,  and  where  only  part  of  a  sub- 


26  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

division  is  to  be  watered,  the  estimate  must  give  the  acreage  in 
each  forty  acres  of  these  fractional  subdivisions. 

The  law  requires  applications  to  be  made  and  approved  by 
the  State  Engineer  before  work  begins.  No  application  which 
states  that  work  has  begun  or  has  been  completed  will  be  ap- 
proved. 

Maps. — Each  application  must  be  accompanied  by  two 
maps,  one  of  which  must  be  on  tracing  linen.  These  maps  must 
be  drawn  on  a  scale  of  two  inches  to  the  mile,  and  on  sheets  not 
less  than  six  by  nine  inches. 

They  must  show  the  location  of  the  headgate  by  courses 
and  distances  from  some  government  corner.  They  must  show 
the  actual  location  of  the  ditch  or  canal,  and  where  government 
survey  lines  are  crossed  the  distance  to  the  nearest  corner  must 
be  given.  Where  corners  cannot  be  found,  give  the  location  of 
line  by  courses  and  distances. 

The  map  must  show  the  course  and  name  of  the  stream 
from  which  water  is  taken ;  the  location  and  area  of  land  to  be 
irrigated,  or  place  where  water  is  to  be  used  for  other  purposes. 
This  may  be  done  by  marking  the  boundaries  or  by  coloring 
the  areas. 

Wherever  the  canal  line  crosses  streams  or  other  ditches 
the  location  of  such  crossing  must  be  shown,  and  such  inter- 
secting streams  and  ditches  must  be  marked  by  ink  of  a  dif- 
ferent cotor.  Maps  must  contain  the  name  of  the  ditch,  canal 
or  reservoir,  and  the  postoffice  of  the  surveyor,  with  date  of 
survey. 

Reservoirs  and  Dams. — Plans  for  dams,  cribs  or  embank- 
ments must  be  drawn  on  a  longitudinal  scale  of  not  less  than 
one  inch  to  one  hundred  feet,  and  for  cross-sections,  of  not  less 
than  one  inch  to  four  feet.  The  plans  for  outlet  and  wasteways 
for  reservoirs  shall  show  the  total  area  to  be  submerged,  and 
enough  levels  to  permit  of  computing  its  capacity. 

Fees. — For  filing  and  examining  applications  for  permits 
to  appropriate  water,  $2.00. 

For  recording  statements  of  claim,  $1.50. 

For  recording  applications  for  reservoir  permits,  $1.00. 

For  recording  any  other  water  instrument,  for  the  first 
one  hundred  words,  $1.00;  for  each  subsequent  folio,  fifteen 
cents. 

For  issuing  certificates  of  appropriation,  $1.00. 

For  making  certified  copies  of  record,  fifteen  cents  per 
folio. 

For  attaching  certificate,  $1.00. 


WATER.  27 

An  Illustration  of  What  May  Be  Done  Under  the  Carey  Act. 

The  results  obtained  under  the  operations  of  the  Sidon 
Canal  in  the  Big  Horn  County  are  a  splendid  illustration  of 
what  can  be  accomplished  under  the  Carey  act  by  the  prop- 
erly directed  and  conducted  efforts  of  a  community  interest. 
Three  years  ago  two  hundred  families  moved  upon  a  20,877- 
acre  tract  where  there  was  no  water  and  scarcely  enough  veg- 
etation to  support  a  jack  rabbit.  These  people  excavated  a 
ditch  eighteen  feet  wide,  thirty-five  miles  long,  in  many  places 
thirty  feet  deep,  and  tunneled  a  hill  of  solid  rock  nine  hundred 
and  forty  feet,  and  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  funds  with 
which  to  purchase  necessaries,  constructed  at  the  same  time 
twenty-seven  miles  of  railroad  grade  and  twenty-eight  miles 
of  government  road  through  the  mountains  to  the  National 
Park.  Last  year,  the  second  year  of  settlement,  they  raised 
sugar  beets  containing  twenty-four  per  cent,  saccharine  mat- 
ter— the  standard  of  European  beets  is  twelve  and  one-half  per 
cent,  saccharine  matter;  of  Colorado  and  Nebraska,  fourteen 
per  cent.  They  raised  seventy-five  bushels  of  oats  to  the 
acre,  weighing  forty  to  forty-five  pounds  per  bushel,  and  worth 
one  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents  per  hundred  weight,  equiv- 
alent to  thirty-seven  dollars  and  fifty  cents  per  acre;  three 
crops  of  alfalfa,  yielding  as  a  total  for  the  three  crops  five 
tons  per  acre,  worth  five  dollars  per  ton.  Cherry  trees  grew 
4.7  feet  last  season.  Sugar  cane  and  peanuts  are  "profitable 
crops ;  vegetables  of  all  kinds  grow  luxuriantly,  potatoes 
weighing  two  pounds  and  pumpkins  forty  to  sixty  pounds. 

So,  where  three  years  ago  the  only  moving  things  were 
jack  rabbits,  the  coyote  and  the  Wyoming  zephyr,  there  are 
today  twelve  hundred  prosperous  people  in  happy  and  com- 
fortable homes :  three  towns,  with  churches,  school  houses, 
stores,  etc.,  but  no  saloons.  The  water  rights  for  this  tract 
and  the  land  cost  these  people  only  eight  dollars  and  fifty  cents 
per  acre.  The  land  today  could  not  be  purchased  for  twenty- 
five  dollars  per  acre,  and  in  three  years  it  will  be  sought  for 
at  one  hundred  dollars  per  acre. 

A  statement  furnished  from  the  Bench  Canal  tract  shows 
equally  well.  Last  year,  the  third  year  of  settlement,  farms 
only  partially  cultivated — some  cases  only  one-third,  others 
one-half — show  net  returns  of  one  thousand  dollars  per  farm. 

Richness  of  Arid  Soil. 

The  average  yield  of  land  in  Wyoming  of  different  kinds 
of  crops  is  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  per  cent,  greater  every 
year  than  that  of  the  humid  portions  of  the  United  States — 


28  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

such  as  Iowa,  Illinois  and  Missouri.  Besides,  there  is  no 
failure  of  crops  under  irrigation.  This  is  a  productiveness 
which  not  one  man  in  a  hundred  in  Wyoming  appreciates,  and 
which  those  who  live  elsewhere  not  only  do  not  appreciate,  but 
scarcely  credit. 

This  wonderful  richness  of  our  soil  is,  through  scientific 
research,  clearly  explained  as  follows :  Soils  are  formed  by  the 
disintegration,  physical  and  chemical,  or  weathering  of  rocks. 
This  breaking  up  and  wearing  away  of  the  parent  rock  result 
in  the  formation  of  compounds  which  are  soluble  in  water; 
these  compounds  being  chiefly  of  sodium,  potassium,  calcium 
and  magnesium.  Where  rains  occur  more  or  less  regularly 
throughout  the  year,  these  water  soluble  compounds  are  leached 
out  of  the  land,  passing  into  the  subdrainage  and  thence 
through  springs  and  streams  into  the  sea.  But  where  the  rain- 
fall is  scanty  this  leaching  can  take  place  only  partially  er  not 
at  all,  and  we  frequently  see  the  salts  of  potassium,  sodium  and 
magnesium  directly  on  the  surface  of  the  soil,  having  been 
brought  up  by  the  evaporation  of  the  soil  moisture.  While  an 
excess  of  such  salts,  as  sal-soda,  common  and  Glauber's  salt,  is 
injurious,  where  there  is  not  an  excess,  there  is  formed  in  the 
soils  of  the  arid  regions  a  much  greater  supply  of  plant  food 
than  in  the  regions  of  rain  where  the  plant  food  is  leached  out. 
This  great  accumulation  of  plant  food  defers  any  need  of  arti- 
ficial fertilization.  This,  without  entering  into  an  extended 
scientific  discussion,  explains  the  unusual  productiveness  of 
the  arid  regions  and  assures  us  that  that  great  productiveness 
will  be  lasting. 

In  arid  regions  there  is  very  little  true  clay  formed,  the 
soils  throughout  being  sandy  and  powdery.  Consequently, 
there  is  very  little  or  no  difference  between  the  soil  on  the 
surface  and  the  sub-soil ;  air,  water  and  the  roots  of  plants 
penetrating  to  much  greater  depths  than  in  those  soils  where 
the  under  soil  is  dense  and  clayey.  In  this  irrigated  country 
from  three  to  six  times  as  great  an  amount  of  soil  mass  may  be 
drawn  upon  by  plants  as  in  a  humid  country.  A  man  who  buys 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  Wyoming  is  getting  as 
much  soil  as  he  who  has  from  three  to  six  times  as  many  acres 
in  the  humid  portion  of  the  country. 

There  is  a  prevailing  idea  that  a  sandy  soil  is  unproductive. 
In.  the  regions  of  summer  rain  a  sandy  soil  usually  means  an 
unproductive  one,  for  there  sand  consists  of  quartz  grain  only. 
In  this  country  sand  is  the  entire  substance  of  the  parent  rock, 
none  of  the  nutritive  chemical  ingredients  having  been  leached 
out. 


WATKR.  29 

Raising  Water. — There  are  many  places  where,  by  reason 
of  the  high  banks  and  slight  fall  of  the  stream,  it  is  too  ex- 
pensive or  impracticable  to  get  water  on  the  land  through  a 
ditch  taken  from  the  level  of  the  river  bed.  In  such  instances 
the  practicability  of  raising  water  ten  to  fifty  feet  by  means 
of  gasoline  and  other  engines  has  been  proven.  In  one  in- 
stance near  Guernsey,  on  the  Platte  River,  thirty  acres  were 
so  irrigated  at  a  cost  of  four  dollars  per  irrigation  day,  the  pro- 
ceeds from  said  tract  being  three  thousand  dollars  for  only 
four  months'  work.  In  another  instance  water  sufficient  to 
irrigate  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres  was  furnished  by  a  six- 
teen-horse  power  gasoline  engine :  the  engine  and  pump  cost 
fifteen  hundred  dollars.  As  it  was  in  the  nature  of  an  experi- 
ment, only  thirty  acres  were  cultivated  and  forty  acres  of 
unbroken  land  irrigated  for  native  hay,  all  at  a  total  cost,  in- 
cluding the  whole  plant,  of  $2,070.  The  product  brought  $2,290, 
so  the  plant  was  paid  for  from  the  proceeds  of  one  year's  culti- 
vation of  seventy  acres.  Next  year  it  will  cost  $2,037.50  to  cul- 
tivate and  irrigate  the  whole  tract  of  two  hundred  and  fifty 
acres,  and  the  products  will  sell  for  $8,177.50,  or  a  net  profit 
of  $6,140 — and  the  plant  paid  for.  Certainly  a  profitable  way 
of  overcoming  natural  obstacles. 

With  the  right  to  perpetual  water,  the  application  of  which 
is  absolutely  at  the  command  of  the  irrigator  and  not  in  any 
way  subject  to  the  caprice  of  the  weather  bureau,  and  lands  for 
ten  dollars  and  fifty  cents  per  acre,  with  rich  soil,  which,  with 
chemical  action  induced  by  the  proper  application  of  water, 
always  retains  its  strength;  with  phenomenally  abundant 
crops  :  with  good  markets  for  everything  produced,  whether  of 
the  vegetable  or  animal  kingdom  ;  a  perpetual  sunshine  with 
which  that  of  Italy  is  incomparable ;  and  with  the  most  health- 
ful climate  in  the  world,  what  greater  inducements  for  happi- 
ness and  prosperity  can  any  country  afford  the  sons  of  toil  in 
the  way  of  recompense  for  their  labor  and  the  living  of  a  true 
and  noble  life?  Wyoming,  under  the  benefits  of  the  Carey  act, 
offers  all  of  these. 

It  is  true  that  we  have  lands  so  strongly  alkali  as  not  to 
permit  the  growth  of  ordinary  vegetation,  permitting  only  that 
of  saline  plants.  The  useless  salts  have  been  left  in  with  the 
useful  ones.  There  are  several  methods  of  neutralizing  these 
useless  salts,  one  of  the  readiest  being  the  use  of  gypsum.  Com- 
mon salt  may  be  disposed  of  by  drainage.  While  the  reclama- 
tion of  this  land  may  seem  to  involve  much  expense,  its  won- 
derful fertility  will  amply  repay  the  cost.  However,  this  is  a 
question  that  need  not  concern  us  at  present,  since  we  have  so 


30  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

much  land  immediately  available.     But  in  enumerating  our 
resources  it  is  well  not  to  forget  this  reclaimable  land. 

With  several  millions  of  acres  of  this  rich  desert  land  ready 
for  water ;  with  irrigation  laws  that  furnish  absolute  protec- 
tion to  investor  and  settler ;  with  the  present  rapid  development 
of  our  mineral  resources  calling  for  a  like  development  in  the 
irrigation  of  our  fertile  soil,  and  with  the  Carey  act,  whose  pro- 
visions have  been  proven  the  best,  most  practical  and  beneficial, 
the  State  of  Wyoming  offers  exceptional  opportunities  to  the 
home-seeker,  the  merchant,  the  manufacturer  and  the  capitalist. 


Agriculture  and  Horticulture. 


In  describing  the  agricultural  development  of  this  State, 
many  interesting  facts  will  have  to  be  left  out.  Details  cannot 
be  given,  only  general  statements.  The  diversity  of  conditions 
is  so  great  that  to  discuss  the  peculiar  features  of  each  agricul- 
tural district  would  take  more  pages  than  are  at  my  disposal. 
In  some  ways  this  limit  will  make  this  description  incomplete. 

No  general  statement  will  fit  all  sections  of  the  State.  In 
the  Wheatland  colony  grain  is  the  principal  product.  In  Jack- 
son's Hole  it  is  not  grown ;  there  cattle  are  the  farmer's  main- 
stay. Lander  farmers,  150  miles  from  a  railroad,  must  pursue 
different  methods  from  those  near  Douglas,  with  two  railway 
connections  with  the  outside  world.  There  is  a  wider  distance 
in  climate  between  the  Laramie  Plains,  with  their  elevation  of 
seven  thousand  feet  above  sea  level,  and  the  lands  around  Sher- 
idan, at  half  that  elevation,  than  there  is  between  Sheridan  and 
Salt  Lake.  Many  settlements  are  isolated  and  have  developed 
local  peculiarities,  both  in  methods  and  ideas.  Thus,  Star 
Valley  is  a  region  of  small  farms.  There  are  more  tracts  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  than  of  larger  areas.  On  Clear 
Creek  the  reverse  is  true.  One  ranch  extends  along  the  stream 
for  fifteen  miles.  The  districts  settled  by  range  cattle  owners 
or  sheepmen  do  not  resemble  the  districts  settled  by  small 
farmers  from  Utah,  either  in  appearance  or  in  the  views  of  the 
land  owners.  All  I  can  hope  to  do,  and  all  that  will  be  at- 
tempted, is  to  explain  to  those  interested  in  the  State,  and 


AGRICULTURE  AND  HORTICULTURE.  31 

those  looking  for  homes,  how  large  are  the  opportunities 
here  presented,  and  how  great  a  range  there  is  for  individual 
choice. 

The  past  ten  years  have  shown  that  farming  is  one  of  the 
State's  solid  and  best  paying  industries.  None  others  have 
kept  pace  with  it  in  growth,  and  no  other  class  of  citizens  have 
as  much  to  show  for  their  ten  years'  labor.  The  men  with 
mortgaged  homes  and  burdened  with  the  oppressive  drain 
of  two  per  cent,  a  month  have  nearly  all  not  only  cleared  this 
off,  but  have  a  bank  account  of  their  own.  Land  values  are 
beginning  to  rise ;  new  homes  are  being  built ;  more  land  is 
being  reclaimed,  and  there  has  been  an  entire  change  in  senti- 
ment about  the  possibilities  of  Wyoming's  agriculture. 

Anyone  who  will  compare  the  valleys  of  Box  Elder,  La 
Prele  and  La  Bonte  Creeks,  in  Converse  County,  as  they  were 
ten  years  ago  with  what  they  are  today,  can  form  some  idea 
as  to  whether  farming  pays. 

There  are  two  reasons  for  the  unusual  success  of  Wyo- 
ming farmers.  The  first  is  the  large  area  of  free  public  land 
and  a  limited  area  of  cheap  State  land  on  which  to  pasture 
herds  of  cattle  or  flocks  of  sheep.  The  best  results  have  been 
gained  from  uniting  farming  and  stock  raising.  The  old  idea 
that  the  range  was  the  thing  was  largely  true,  but  this  is 
now  giving  way  to  the  more  humane  and  safer  plan  of  uniting 
the  grazing  and  irrigated  lands.  The  second  is  the  high  price 
of  farm  products.  Wyoming  still  has  to  import  large  quan- 
tities of  grain  and  nearly  all  the  fruit  consumed  in  the  State. 
There  are  few  sections  where  the  supply  of  any  staple  crop 
equals  the  demand,  hence  prices  are  higher  than  in  many  of 
the  large  seaboard  cities. 

Near  our  larger  towns  and  cities  some  market  gardening 
is  done,  and  some  fruits  are  produced,  but  as  a  rule  not  enough 
attention  has  been  given  these  industries  to  furnish  the  home 
market,  and  large  quantities  are  shipped  in  to  supply  the  de- 
mand. This  is  due  to  the  fact  that  we  are  now  in  the  transi- 
tion period  between  the  great  stock  grazing  period  and  a  new 
regime  of  diversified  agriculture.  This  newness  offers  ad- 
vantages to  the  prospective  settler  not  found  elsewhere. 

Vegetables. — As  a  general  indication  of  what  may  be  done 
in  raising  vegetables  in  our  State,  I  would  point  out  the  fact 
that  at  altitudes  of  five  thousand  feet  and  less  sweet  potatoes 
and  peanuts  are  successfully  produced.  A  good  quality  of 
leaf  tobacco  has  been  raised  at  Wheatland.  Up  to  altitudes  of 
5,500  feet  such  tender  crops  as  tomatoes,  melons,  pumpkins 
and  squashes  grow  to  perfection,  while  in  all  portions  of  the 
State  are  raised  big  crops  of  onions,  beets,  potatoes,  turnips. 


32  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

cabbage,  cauliflower,  salsify,  rhubarb,  celery  and  like  hardy 
vegetables.  In  1894  the  Experiment  Station  at  Laramie  re- 
corded an  average  yield  of  over  fifteen  tons  of  onions  from 
sets,  giving  a  net  profit  of  ninety  dollars  and  forty-one  cents 
per  acre.  The  better  varieties  of  seed  onions  gave  yields  in 
different  portions  of  the  State  of  from  twenty  to  over  forty-six 
tons  per  acre.  Maximum  yields  of  turnips  were  upwards  of 
forty  tons;  carrots,  ten  and  one-half  tons,  and  potatoes,  522 
bushels  per  acre. 

In  productiveness,  size  and  quality  our  garden  vegetables 
can  successfully  compete  with  like  kinds  raised  anywhere. 

Fruit  Growing. — The  friction  of  starting  is  greater  than 
the  friction  of  movement.  While  we  have  no  very  extensive 
fruit  farms  as  yet,  enough  has  been  done  to  indicate  what  is 
possible,  and  to  demonstrate  that  there  is  no  irrigated  agricul- 
tural land  in  the  State  which  will  not  produce  profitable  crops 
of  some  kinds  of  fruits.  The  planting  of  fruits,  which  was  be- 
gun on  a  small  scale  but  a  few  years  ago,  is  rapidly  growing 
in  favor.  I  know  of  no  branch  of  agriculture  which  is  advanc- 
ing with  more  rapid  strides  than  that  of  fruit  growing.  At  the 
present  rate  of  increase,  our  production  of  fruits  for  home  con- 
sumption will  soon  be  of  great  importance  to  the  State.  It 
must  be  remembered  that  Wyoming  still  belongs  to  the  newer 
part  of  the  West,  and  much  of  our  industry  is  such  as  is  still 
making  use  of  materials  already  on  hand,  rather  than  forcing 
the  soil  to  produce  artificially.  The  establishment  of  irrigated 
farms  and  the  greater  production  of  diversified  agriculture 
marks  the  dawn  of  a  true  and  lasting  prosperity. 

Our  first  farming  was  naturally  such  as  furnished  an  in- 
creased amount  of  food  for  live  stock,  and  the  more  staple 
farm  crops.  Fresh,  ripe  fruits,  as  distinguished  from  the  dried 
and  tin-can  varieties,  which  have  indeed  been  rare  luxuries  upon 
our  scattered  ranches,  are  rapidly  becoming  necessities  in  pro- 
gressive homes.  The  regime  of  the  wandering  hunter  and  trap- 
per, the  shifting  pioneer  population  and  the  nomadic  stockman 
has  passed,  and  our  population  is  made  up  of  a  happy,  con- 
tented, home-building  people,  surrounding  themselves  with 
comforts  and  luxuries,  and  providing  for  the  comfort  of  gen- 
erations to  come.  Our  agriculture  and  horticulture  are  becom- 
ing permanent  and  staple.  The  soil  fertility  is  being  kept  up 
rather  than  merely  taking  from  it  all  its  great  natural  wealth 
of  plant  food.  Fruit  plantings  are  lasting  and  will  yield  their 
returns  through  future,  years.  With  irrigation  and  the  intel- 
ligent use  of  improved  farm  methods,  our  crop  yields  are  above 
the  ordinary,  the  quality  of  the  produce  is  unexcelled,  and  years 
of  failure  are  so  rare  as  not  to  be  taken  into  account  at  all. 


AGRICULTURE  AND  HORTICULTURE.  33 

General  Conditions. — Our  conditions  of  soil,  climate  and 
exposure  are  exceedingly  various.  In  a  few  localities,  where 
the  annual  rainfall  is  greater  than  fifteen  inches,  or  where  the 
lands  are  underlaid  with  surface  water  at  no  great  depth,  fair 
crops  are  raised  without  irrigation.  We  have  agricultural 
lands  at  altitudes  of  less  than  3,500  feet,  and  from  this  to  over 
7,000  feet  above  sea  level.  There  are  wind-swept  plains,  rolling 
uplands,  protected  mountain  valleys,  and  bottoms  along 
streams,  with  corresponding  lengths  of  growing  seasons  free 
from  frost  of  from  eighty  days  or  less  to  more  than  one  hundred 
and  fifty  days,  and  the  mean  annual  temperature  varies  from 
forty  degrees  F.  to  about  fifty  degrees  F.  On  account  of  these 
widely  varying  conditions,  the  fruits  raised,  the  place  where 
they  are  to  be  planted,  the  methods  of  treating  them,  must  be 
determined  largely  by  each  person  for  himself.  There  is  a  wide 
range  of  kinds  and  varieties  from  which  to  choose  that  which 
will  succeed  in  this  latitude,  and  the  success  with  which  certain 
kinds  have  been  grown  in  the  different  parts  of  the  State  will 
aid  in  making  the  choice. 

What  Has  Been  Done. — The  most  extensive  fruit  trials  of 
which  we  have  authentic  records  are  those  made  upon  the  sev- 
eral experiment  farms  in  different  parts  of  the  State.  In  addi- 
tion to  these  trials,  however,  are  the  important  results  obtained 
by  our  farmers  and  ranchmen  themselves,  who  have  been  pro- 
ducing fruit  for  a  number  of  years.  We  now  have  bearing 
orchards  in  Fremont,  Sheridan  and  Laramie  Counties,  and 
more  scattered  trees  fruiting  in  nearly  every  section  of  the 
State.  So  far  as  we  can  learn,  the  first  trees  were  set  out  from 
1882  to  1885.  The  first  planting  upon  the  experiment  farms 
was  made  in  1892.  Russian  apricots  and  some  varieties  of  pears 
have  produced  thrifty  trees  and  seem  hardy,  though  they  have 
not  yet  fruited. 

Apples. — The  hardy  varieties  of  apples  succeed  in  all  parts 
of  the  State.  Mr.  Jacob  Lund  has  successfully  fruited  the 
Wealthy  apple  at  about  7,400  feet  altitude  on  the  Laramie 
Plains.  Several  varieties  of  crabs  are  also  being  raised  about 
7,000  feet.  Mr.  J.  S.  Meyer  and  Mr.  Edward  Young,  in  Fre- 
mont County,  have  produced  large  amounts  of  fruit  from  their 
orchards  every  season  for  the  last  seven  or  eight  years.  The 
principal  varieties  which  have  succeeded  with  them  are  the 
Wealthy,  Duchess  of  Oldenburg,  Yellow  Transparent,  Briar 
Sweet  Crab,  Transcendent  Crab,  Great  Lakes  Siberian  Crab, 
Martha  Crab,  Soulard  Crab  and  Montreal  Beauty  Crab.  The 
Ben  Davis  also  fruited  upon  the  Lander  Experiment  Farm. 
In  Sheridan  County  Mr.  C.  H.  Manning  has  a  large  bearing 


34  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

orchard,  consisting  principally  of  the  following  varieties :  Yel- 
low Transparent,  Antonovka,  Tetofsky,  Moscow,  Enormous, 
Hibernal,  Wealthy,  McMahon,  Switzer,  Plum  Cider,  Red 
Astrachan,  Wolf  River  and  Gideon.  He  states  that  he  has  had 
good  crops  every  year  since  the  trees  were  old  enough  to  bear, 
and  that  all  these  varieties  are  hardy  except  the  Plum  Cider. 
In  Laramie  County  the  Ben  Davis,  Oldenburg,  Wealthy, 
Pippin  and  Northern  Spy,  as  well  as  a  number  of  varieties  of 
crabs,  are  bearing.  We  have  no  accurate  data  of  the  yields 
obtained  from  apples  other  than  that  they  have  borne  full  crops 
and  that  years  of  failure  are  very  rare. 

Plums. — The  native  wild  plum  is  found  over  the  larger 
portion  of  the  State.  The  best  cultivated  sorts  tried  are  the 
De  Soto,  Weaver,  Hawkeye,  Wolf  and  Rolling  Stone  varieties, 
all  of  which  have  borne  fruit. 

Cherries. — The  best  varieties  are  the  English  Morello, 
Early  Richmond  and  Dwarf  Rocky  Mountain.  They  evidently 
will  succeed  in  all  parts  of  the  State,  and  the  last  named  is 
especially  prolific.  Mr.  G.  W.  Barlow  of  Sheridan  estimates 
that  his  Dwarf  Rocky  Mountain  cherries,  set  eight  by  ten  feet, 
yielded  an  average  of  eight  quarts  per  plant,  which  would  be 
4,356  quarts  per  acre. 

Small  Fruits. — The  strawberry  is  the  most  cosmopolitan 
of  all  fruits,  and  it  seems  to  succeed  under  all  our  conditions,  if 
properly  cared  for.  Some  varieties  succeed  better  than  others 
under  local  conditions,  but  a  few  standard  sorts,  such  as  Cres- 
cent, Wilson,  Jucunda,  Captain  Jack,  etc.,  seem  to  adapt  them- 
selves to  widely  different  conditions.  The  best  variety  for  any 
locality  must  be  determined  by  experiment.  At  Sheridan 
11,645  quarts  of  Jucunda  Improved  berries  have  been  gathered 
from  an  acre  of  plants. 

Currants  and  Gooseberries  succeed  in  all  parts  of  the  State, 
if  given  half  a  chance,  though  gooseberries  do  not  seem  to  do 
so  well  at  high  altitudes  as  currants.  Mr.  James  King  has 
raised  some  fine  crops  of  Red  Cherry  and  White  Grape  cur- 
rants upon  the  Laramie  Plains.  These  varieties  and  the  Cran- 
dall,  which  is  the  finest  black  sort,  are  the  best  of  the  varieties 
which  have  been  tried  for  all  parts  of  the  State.  At  Wheatland 
White  Grape  yielded  at  the  rate  of  9,075  pounds  per  acre ;  Red 
Cherry,  14,520  pounds,  and  Crandall,  32,670  pounds. 

At  Lander  White  Grape  currants  yielded  at  the  rate  of 
11,507  quarts  per  acre,  and  Red  Cherry,  7,260  quarts. 

The  best  varieties  of  gooseberries  are  the  Downing  and 
the  Houghton.  The  Industry  has  also  given  excellent  results 


AGRICULTURE  AND  HORTICI  I.TCRIC.  35 

at  Sheridan.  At  Wheatland  the  Downing  yielded  at  the  rate 
of  21,780  pounds  per  acre,  and  the  Houghton  at  the  rate  of 
16,335  pounds  per  acre.  Downing  gooseberries  at  Lander 
yielded  13,159  quarts  per  acre. 

Blackberries  and  Dewberries. — The  dewberries  seem  to 
succeed  better  than  the  ordinary  blackberries  at  high  altitudes. 
The  canes  of  blackberries  and  dewberries,  as  well  as  those  of 
raspberries,  must  be  covered  with  earth  for  winter  protection. 
The  Early  King  seems  to  be  the  best  variety  of  blackberries 
tried.  It  yielded  at  the  rate  of  9,525  pounds  per  acre  at  Wheat- 
land.  This  variety  was  the  most  prolific  at  Lander  also. 

Raspberries  have  succeeded  somewhat  better  than  black- 
berries. At  Wheatland  Thompson's  Early  Prolific,  which  did 
better  than  any  other  kind,  yielded  at  the  rate  of  6,808  pounds 
per  acre.  At  Sheridan  the  raspberries  gave  large  crops  each 
year,  but  the  varieties  were  somewhat  mixed,  so  comparative 
results  are  not  of  much  value. 

Grapes  will  probably  not  succeed  much  above  5,500  feet 
altitude,  unless  they  can  be  given  more  than  ordinary  protec- 
tion. Some  varieties  have  been  fruited  at  Sheridan,  and  the 
early  varieties  planted  at  Lander  have  made  excellent  growth 
and  are  now  producing  fine  crops.  The  Wyoming  Red  and 
Concord  have  been  the  heaviest  yielders,  and  have  shown  that 
they  will  ripen  before  early  frosts.  Grapes  merit  more  ex- 
tended trial  than  they  have  had,  especially  in  sheltered  lo- 
calities. 

Raising  Fruits  for  Market. — Undoubtedly  for  some  time 
the  home  demand  will  be  greater  than  the  supply.  This  gives 
the  Wyoming  fruit  grower  a  decided  advantage  over  growers 
in  old,  well  established  fruit  belts.  He  will  not  need  to  place 
his  fruits  in  competition  with  those  in  the  general  market,  and 
the  expense  of  shipping  precludes  serious  competition  from 
growers  in  other  States  in  many  kinds  of  fruit  which  he  can 
successfully  raise  at  home.  He  can  supply  his  own  home  much 
cheaper  than  he  can  buy  inferior  products  from  elsewhere,  and 
his  surplus  will  find  ready  sale  in  home  markets. 

Cost  and  Profit  With  Fruit. — We  are  still  sufficiently  util- 
itarian to  look  upon  the  cash  side  of  every  proposition,  and  it 
is  necessary  to  show  the  prospective  fruit  grower  what  may  be 
expected  in  expenditures  and  returns.  It  is  not  possible  to 
state  the  money  value  of  the  higher  living  and  increased  health 
which  come  with  greater  fresh  fruit  consumption  in  the  home, 
and  the  greater  independence  of  producing  it  ourselves,  but  we 


36  THE;  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

have  estimated  the  money  value  at  the  local  market  prices,  and 
the  expense  under  local  conditions  of  producing  and  marketing 
strawberries  and  Dwarf  cherries.  We  give  the  average  yields, 
the  lowest  market  price  and  the  greatest  probable  expense  of 
raising  the  crop  in  each  case,  as  follows : 

Raspberries. 

Average  yield  from  all  varieties  grown  at  Sheridan  for  two 
years,  952  quarts. 

Value  per  acre  at  local  market  price,  25  cents  per  quart.  .$238.25 
Total  cost  of  raising,  picking  and  marketing  per  acre. .  .  65.65 


Net  profit  per  acre $172.60 

Dwarf  Cherries. 

Mr.  Barlow  of  Sheridan  estimates  average  yield  of  Dwarf 
Rocky  Mountain  cherries  at  eight  quarts  per  plant,  set  8  by  10 
feet  apart.    This  would  give  a  yield  per  acre  of  4,356  quarts. 
Five  cents  per  quart  would  be  a  very  low  price  for  the 

fruit,  giving  a  value  to  the  crop,  per  acre,  of $217.80 

Although  picking,  boxing  and  crating  would  cost  less, 

we  give  the  cost  of  raising  and  marketing  the  crop 

the  same  as  for  raspberries 65.65 


Net  profit  per  acre $152.15 

Strawberries. 

Average  yield  per  acre  of  thirty-one  varieties  at  Sheridan, 
1896,  6,920  quarts  . 

Value  at  10  cents  per  quart,  local  market $692.00 

Total  cost  of  plants,  setting  out  new  beds  each  year,  cul- 
tivation, irrigation,  picking,  boxing,  crating  and 
marketing,  per  acre 301.60 


Net  profit  per  acre $390.40 

Fruit  Growing  With  Irrigation  vs.  Without  Irrigation — 

While  much  has  been  said  of  the  advantages  of  farming  under 
irrigation  over  farming  in  pluvial  districts,  these  advantages 
are  not  appreciated  as  they  should  be.  We  hear  of  the  disad- 
vantages of  raising  crops  by  irrigation  only  from  those  who  are 
unacquainted  with  it  in  actual  practice.  Many  who  barely 
exist  upon  unirrigated  farms  cannot  understand  how  the  ad- 
ditional expense  of  applying  water  is  to  be  met,  and  it  could 
not  be  if  an  increased  crop  production  did  not  more  than  pay 
all  the  added  expense.  Those  who  have  farmed  under  good 
irrigation  systems  would  be  loth  to  return  to  rainfall  condi- 


LIVE  STOCK.  37 

tions  and  take  the  years  of  failure,  or  the  lower  yield,  with 
good  grace. 

Late  frosts,  which  would  be  destructive  to  fruit  buds  and 
flowers,  may  be  quite  effectually  prevented  by  keeping  the 
ground  well  soaked  and  water  in  the  furrows  on  nights  when 
there  is  danger  of  frost. 

The  irrigated  orchard  bears  its  full  crop  every  season,  in- 
stead of  resting  every  other  season,  or  two  seasons  out  of  three. 
The  quality  of  the  crop  is  improved  by  the  application  of  water 
just  when  it  is  needed,  and  in  our  dry  climate  there  is  little 
danger  of  too  much  water  being  forced  on  the  plants  during 
the  fruiting  season.  Naturally,  the  quality  of  the  fruit  is  im- 
proved as  well  by  the  large  amount  of  sunshine,  which  gives 
it  the  highest  colors  and  materially  aids  in  the  ripening  and 
sweetening  process. 

In  good  irrigation  practice  the  soil  fertility  is  never  les- 
sened by  leaching.  In  fact,  fertility  is  conserved  to  the  great- 
est possible  extent,  and  most  irrigation  waters  add  plant  foods 
to  the  soil.  It  has  been  demonstrated  that  water  carrying 
quantities  of  sediment  adds  to  the  total  amount  of  plant  food 
in  the  soil,  regardless  of  the  crops  removed  each  year.  In  such 
places  artificial  fertilizers  will  never  be  needed,  while  the  pro- 
duction may  be  as  constant  as  in  the  famous  valley  of  the  Nile. 

The  time  of  irrigation,  when  the  soil  and  plants  are  in  need 
of  .water,  and  the  amount  to  be  applied,  along  with  the  best 
methods  of  applying  it,  are  matters  whose  correct  solution  re- 
quires careful  and  intelligent  thought  and  study  of  every  fruit 
grower.  They  must  be  determined  largely  by  each  individual 
for  the  conditions  of  soil  and  climate  in  his  locality. 


Live  Stock. 


The  live  stock  industry  of  Wyoming,  which  for  a  long 
time  was  its  only  industry,  has  a  history  as  varied  and  romantic 
as  a  Sixteenth  century  tale.  When  the  country  now  com- 
prised in  this  State  was  first  discovered  a  luxuriant  grass  cov- 
ered the  prairies,  upon  which  nothing  but  buffalo  and  wild 


38  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

game  grazed.  Her  first  herds  were  gathered  and  reared  by 
men  who  preceded  the  first  attempts  at  actual  settlement  of 
the  Territory.  Lying  in  the  pathway  of  that  great  migration 
to  the  Pacific  coast,  which  began  in  the  middle  of  the  past  cen- 
tury, her  territory  was  necessarily  traversed  by  countless  long 
trains  of  ox  teams,  many  of  which,  through  accident  or  disease, 
were  destined  never  to  reach  their  journey's  end.  Sick,  injured, 
footsore  and  poor,  these  animals  were  abandoned  to  live  as 
best  they  might,  or  become  a  prey  for  the  wild  animals  of 
mountain  and  plain.  That  many  of  them  lived  through  the 
winter  following  and  were  fat  enough  for  beef  in  the  early 
springtime  proved  a  revelation  to  the  man  accustomed  to  long 
and  expensive  winter  feeding,  and  forced  his  attention  to  the 
fact  that  our  mountain  grasses  must  possess  nutritious  qual- 
ities of  marvelous  worth.  To  raise  cattle,  horses  and  sheep 
was,  for  our  earliest  settlers,  an  easy  matter,  but  to  keep  them 
was  quite  a  different  proposition,  for  the  Indian  had  little 
respect  for  the  rights  of  ownership,  and  no  horse  was  safe 
beyond  the  reach  of  a  bullet  from  his  owner's  trusty  rifle. 
When  the  white  man  came  to  stay  he  brought  vast  herds  of 
cattle  that  thrived  upon  the  open  ranges  without  care  or  at- 
tention on  the  strong  and  nutritious  grasses.  Fast  following 
on  these  early  days  of  settlement,  of  danger  and  accumulation, 
came  the  "boom"  in  the  cattle  business  during  the  '8os,  marked 
by  the  investment  of  millions  of  dollars  by  men  who  knew  noth- 
ing of  the  business  in  which  they  so  recklessly  embarked. 
About  1886-87  settlers,  having  fenced  in  the  rivers  and  creeks, 
thus  cutting  off  the  winter  shelter,  and  the  range  having  been 
overstocked,  this,  together  with  an  exceptionally  hard  winter 
and  short  feed,  caused  disaster  to  overtake  us,  and  reduced  a 
profitable  business  to  bankruptcy.  The  period  of  unwarranted 
speculation,  fancy  prices  and  extravagant  waste  was  of  short 
duration,  and,  naturally  enough,  was  followed  by  rapid  depres- 
sion of  prices  and  the  consequent  failures  of  the  inexperienced. 
And  yet,  deplorable  as  were  the  results,  this  bitter  experience 
teaches  no  new  lesson  in  domestic  economy  ;  neither  does  it  in 
any  way  detract  from  the  material  advantages  which  this  State 
offers  to  anyone  who  would  embark  in  stock  raising  as  a  legit- 
imate enterprise. 

Following  this  appeared  the  ranchmen  of  moderate  means, 
having  smaller  herds  of  cattle,  who  had  learned  from  bitter 
experience  that  feed  must  be  provided  for  severe  winters.  Thus 
ranches  were  settled  and  irrigated — alfalfa,  hay  and  other  feed 
provided — rendering  the  business  that  was  formerly  so  pre- 
carious a  safe  and  steady  avocation,  and  one  that  is  rapidly 
giving  our  people  wealth  and  independence. 


LIVE  STOCK.  39 

The  live  stock  industry  has  been  the  most  remunerative 
business  of  this  section  of  the  West;  mining  and  agriculture 
are  fast  becoming  close  competitors.  As  to  which  branch  of 
the  business — cattle,  sheep  or  horses — one  should  adopt,  no 
advice  can  be  given.  One  should  follow  that  for  which  he  is 
best  adapted.  Large  fortunes  and  many  comfortable  com- 
petencies have  been  and  are  being  made  in  each  branch. 

CATTLE. 

The  question  has  often  been  asked,  what  is  the  best  animal 
to  purchase  for  cattle?  That  can  be  answered  by  the  advocates 
of  each  breed,  and  has  been  settled  to  the  satisfaction  of  each 
advocate  that  his  particular  animal  is  the  best  suited  for  the 
range  and  pasture.  But  it  can  be  said  that  all  "beef"  breeds 
do  well — beef  is  the  main  object  of  cattle  growing  in  this  State. 
Many  claim  that  the  Hereford  is  a  hardier  animal  and  a  better 
"rustler"  after  feed  during  the  winter  than  any  other  breed, 
and  they  are  much  in  favor  with  those  who  have  used  them. 
Others  claim  for  the  Shorthorns  that  they  are  as  good,  will 
stand  as  much  hardship  and  go  through  the  winter  just  as  well 
and  will  give  more  beef  per  animal.  Some  Galloway  and  a  few 
Polled  Angus  have  been  brought  into  the  State.  Each  has 
done  well — neither  has  come  into  general  use. 

The  stockmen  have  been  breeding  higher  grades  of  late 
years,  and  there  are  now  many  registered  animals  in  the  State. 

SHEEP. 

Since  1883  the  sheep  industry  has  grown  enormously,  and 
many  heretofore  poor  men  have  become  rich,  some  owning  as 
many  as  65,000  head.  Sheep  are  grazed  in  the  mountains  in 
the  summer,  and  in  the  winter  upon  the  plains,  where  they 
find  the  cured  grass,  as  Nature  provides  it.  together  with  the 
browse  furnished  by  the  sage  brush.  A  sheep  man  needs  no 
ranch  and  makes  no  preparations  in  the  way  of  harvested  feed 
for  the  winter,  but,  like  Abraham  of  old,  moves  about  with  his 
flocks,  in  the  summer  living  in  tents  in  the  cool  shades  of  the 
mountains,  and  in  winter  in  a  "sheep  wagon,"  which  is  fully 
equipped  with  spring  bed,  stove  and  kitchen  outfit.  Sheep 
are  subject  to  no  disease  except  scab,  which  is  easily  cured 
with  proper  attention.  The  wool,  at  ten  cents  per  pound,  a  lit- 
tle more  than  pays  all  the  cost  of  running  the  sheep  a  year,  so 
that  the  increase  and  mutton  are  the  accumulated  net  profit. 

\Yyoming  leads  all  the  Western  States  and  Territories  in 
the  price  per  head  of  its  sheep,  and  leads  every  State  in  the 
Union  in  total  value  of  its  sheep,  the  number  and  value  of  its 


4O  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

lambs,  and  the  amount  and  value  of  its  wool  clip,  and  the 
average  weight  of  fleece  produced. 

Wyoming  is  also  a  close  third  in  the  number  of  its  sheep. 
New  Mexico  and  Montana  leading  by  only  a  few  thousand. 

HORSES. 

It  has  been  proven  beyond  question  that  horses  raised  on 
the  foothills  and  mountains,  in  the  pure  light  air  of  an  eleva- 
tion of  from  5,000  to  10,000  feet,  have  better  lungs,  stronger 
and  better  developed  bone  and  muscle,  and  tougher  hoofs,  than 
horses  from  any  other  country.  This  is  borne  out  by  the  fact 
that  not  only  the  United  States  government,  during  the  Spanish 
war  and  since,  but  the  English  government,  for  service  in 
South  Africa,  have  purchased  as  many  thousand  head  of 
horses  in  Wyoming  as  could  be  obtained. 

No  horse  in  the  world  can  compete  with  the  Wyoming 
horse  in  endurance  of  all  kinds  of  hardship  to  which  horse 
flesh  is  subjected  by  man.  This  is  a  broad  statement,  but  we 
make  it  without  fear  of  refutation ;  every  horseman  and  horse 
in  the  State  stands  ready  to  back  it  up. 

Embracing  about  98,000  square  miles  of  territory,  nearly 
every  acre  of  which  is  clothed  in  a  mantle  of  the  most  nutri- 
tious grasses  and  sage  brush  browse,  Wyoming  presents  a  ter- 
ritory for  grazing  purposes  40  per  cent,  larger  than  is  found  in 
all  the  Eastern  States  combined.  Add  to  this  vast  food  supply 
the  most  delightful  climate  in  the  world,  with  cool  summers 
and  dry,  mild  winters,  and  it  is  but  little  wonder  that  Wyo- 
ming has  been  called  the  "Stockman's  Paradise,"  and  that  it 
has  become  an  important  factor  in  supplying  beef,  mutton  and 
wool  to  the  Eastern  and  Western  markets. 

The  requisites  for  success  in  the  business  are  a  few  cattle, 
sheep  or  horses,  and  attention  to  their  wants  under  the  condi- 
tions of  the  country  and  climate.  The  man  who  can  do  this 
for  a  few  years  will,  with  common  prudence,  find  himself  in- 
dependent of  the  world,  and  his  old  age  may  be  spent  in  peace 
and  with  plenty. 

The  cut  on  opposite  page  is  a  picture  of  "Wyoming,"  the 
horse  presented  by  the  City  of  Douglas  to  President  Roosevelt 
when  he  made  his  famous  sixty-mile  ride  during  his  visit  to  the 
State  last  May. 

This  horse,  taken  from  the  range,  is  a  marvel  of  equine 
intelligence,  is  possessed  of  five  different  gaits,  and  is  a  swift 
and  easy  traveler.  The  horse  is  now  in  the  White  House 
stables  in  Washington. 

Wyoming  horses  are  unexcelled. 


MINERAL  RESOURCES. 


"  Wyoming,"  the  Horse  Presented  to  President  Roosevelt. 


Mineral  Resources. 


There  are  few  States  in  the  Union  that  possess  mineral 
resources  as  vast  and  varied  as  those  of  Wyoming.  The  late 
Prof.  Knight  of  the  State  University  identified  156  of  the 
varieties  of  mineral  noted  in  Dana's  System  of  Minerology  as 
occurring  in  Wyoming,  and  this  list  is  constantly  being  added 
to  as  the  different  formations  are  opened  up  and  understood. 

Gold,  silver,  copper  and  lead  all  have  been  known  for 
years  in  almost  every  mountain  range  in  the  State,  and  the 
work  of  the  past  two  years  has  demonstrated  beyond  a  doubt 
that  these  ores  exist  in  commercial  quantities. 

The  crying  need  of  these  resources  is  railroad  transporta- 
tion, as  both  the  quantity  and  quality  are  assured  facts,  and  it 


42  THE:  STATE;  OF  WYOMING. 

only  remains  to  get  them  to  market.  With  the  railroads  will 
come  the  up-to-date  mining  investor,  with  means  and  brains 
to  make  a  producing  mine  out  of  the  long  neglected  prospects. 
There  is  not  another  Rocky  Mountain  State  with  greater 
possibilities  than  Wyoming,  or  that  offers  better  opportuni- 
ties for  mineral  investments ;  certainly  none  with  so  much 
public  domain  subject  to  location  as  mineral  land,  and,  besides 
the  precious  metals,  the  wealth  of  coal,  oil  and  natural  gas  will 
some  day  make  Wyoming  as  great  a  producing  arfcl  manu- 
facturing State  as  Pennsylvania  is  today. 

Gold  Mining. — Gold  mines  were  first  worked  at  South 
Pass,  Fremont  County,  in  1867,  since  which  date  the  industry 
has  amounted  to  something  each  year.  The  annual  production 
has  fluctuated  from  $25,000  to  $125,000,  the  total  being  esti- 
mated at  $4,000,000.,  produced. 

The  placer  mines  that  were  rich  enough  to  be  worked  with 
limited  means  were  worked  out  long  ago.  Large  tracts  of 
placer  gold  ground,  that  can  only  be  worked  with  great  ex- 
penditure of  money  and  the  most  modern  and  economical  de- 
vices, remain.  These  are  now  owned  by  large  companies, 
who  are  arranging  to  work  some  of  them.  The  quartz  veins, 
from  which  most  of  the  gold  produced  has  been  taken,  are 
found  in  all  the  mountain  districts,  the  most  promising  of 
which  are  as  follows :  South  Pass  and  Atlantic,  in  Fremont 
County;  Seminoe,  Medicine  Bow  and  Sierra  Madre  Moun- 
tains, in  Carbon  County ;  Black  Hills,  Crook  County ;  Sho- 
shone  Mountains,  Big  Horn  County,  and  the  Laramie  Hills. 

Silver  and  Lead. — These  metals  are  found  in  small  quan- 
tities in  all  the  prominent  ranges.  Galena  is  the  usual  ore  car- 
rying silver,  but  at  the  Esterbrook  mine,  in  northern  Albany 
County,  a  vein  of  cerusite  or  silicious  lead  carbonate  has  been 
found.  The  silver  values  vary  from  ten  to  six  hundred  ounces 
per  ton,  and  the  lead  from  twenty  to  sixty  per  cent,  in  com- 
mercial ores.  Shipments  have  been  made  from  camps  in 
Crook,  Big  Horn,  Albany  and  Laramie  Counties. 

Copper. — During  the  past  four  years  copper  in  commer- 
cial quantities  has  been  found  in  nearly  all  of  the  thirteen  coun- 
ties of  the  State  and  development  work  is  being  actively 
pushed.  The  principal  ore  is  usually  a  chalcopyrite  or  yellow 
sulphide  of  copper,  associated  with  the  rarer  forms.  These 
forms  are  usually  covered  by  a  capping  of  oxidized  iron,  in 
which  the  oxidized  forms  of  copper,  usually  the  blue  and  green 
carbonates,  are  found.  The  Grand  Encampment  Copper  Dis- 
trict, in  Southern  Wyoming,  is  the  leading  producer,  and  act- 


-\  I  1  X  KRAL  RESOURCES.  43 

ive  camps  are  established  in  the  Laramie  Hills,  Shoshone 
Mountains,  Owl  Mountains,  the  Wind  River  Range  and  the 
Big  Horn  Mountains. 

Coal. — Coal  mining  has  been  the  leading  mineral  industry 
in  the  State,  and  will,  in  all  probability,  continue  in  the  front 
rank  for  a  time,  though  copper  is  fast  gaining  upon  it.  It  had 
its  origin  with  the  advent  of  the  transcontinental  railroad,  and 
•has  increased  with  the  development  of  the  State,  until  today  it 
employs  an  army  of  workmen  and  has  a  product  of  4,602,929 
tons  of  coal  per  annum. 

The  kinds  of  coal  vary  from  a  pure  lignite  to  a  high  grade 
long-flamed  bituminous  variety.  The  best  grades  of  coal  are 
low  in  sulphur  and  ash,  and  are  excellent  fuels  for  locomotives, 
general  steam  making,  domestic  purposes  and  gas  production. 

A  semi-anthracite  was  discovered  in  Johnson  County  in 
1887.  Coking  coal  has  been  discovered  in  two  or  three  localities, 
and  seventy-four  Beehive  coke  ovens  are  operated  at  Cambria, 
Weston  County,  having  an  output  of  over  20,000  tons  per 
annum. 

All  coke  so  far  manufactured  in  this  State  has  been  made 
at  Cambria,  and  Wyoming  stands  eleventh  in  the  coke  produc- 
ing States. 

The  coal  fields  are  so  universal  that  commercial  coal  is 
known  to  exist  in  every  county,  and,  in  all  but  one,  coal  mines 
are  worked.  The  area  of  workable  coal  land  is  over  20,000 
square  miles.  The  coal  veins  are  numerous.  It  is  not  an  un- 
common thing  to  find  six  or  eight  workable  veins  in  a  single 
field.  In  thickness  the  seams  vary  from  a  few  to  seventy-five 
feet.  The  coal  mines  operated  at  present  have  working  veins 
varying  from  four  to  forty  feet.  The  coal  lands  are  owned,  to 
a  large  extent,  by  the  government,  but  are  subject  to  location. 
Already  three  great  railroads  have  penetrated  these  fields, 
but  the  industry  has  only  started,  and  by  the  close  of  another 
quarter  of  a  century  Wyoming  will  be  producing  not  less  than 
10,000,000  tons  of  coal  per  annum. 

Wyoming  stands  twelfth  in  the  list  of  coal  producing 
States,  and  while  the  amount  produced  in  other  States  has  re- 
mained stationary  in  the  past  two  years,  the  amount  produced 
in  Wyoming  has  increased  twenty  per  cent. 


44 


THE  STATE;  OF  WYOMING. 


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MINERAL  RESOURCES.  45 

Statement  of  Coal  Output  for  Year  Ending  September  30,  1903. 

Output  of        Number  of 
Name  of  Mine  or  Company.  Mines,  Tons.     Employees. 

Rock  Springs,  No.  i 328463  534 

Rock  Springs,  No.  2 121,335  233 

Rock  Springs,  No.  7 189,737  216 

Rock  Springs,  No.  8 218,443  243 

Rock  Springs,  No.  9 208,240  263 

Rock  Springs,  No.  10 248,474  212 

Diamond  Coal  and  Coke  Co.,  No.  i .  .  .  284,280  297 

Diamond  Coal  and  Coke  Co.,  No.  2.  .  .  176,376  120 
Diamond  Coal  and  Coke  Co.,  No.  4.  . .      82,016  24 

Cumberland,  No.  i 264,860  340 

Cumberland,  No.  2 522,577  376 

Kemmerer,   No.   i 167,405  197 

Kemmerer  No.  3 72,234  129 

Hanna,  No.  i 325,656  400 

Spring  Valley,  No.  i 119,511  190 

Sweetwater,  No.  i 143,677  189 

Number  Five 7>555  20 

Sheridan  Coal  Mining  Co 457,493  600 

Cambria  Mining  Co. 419,586  800 

Glenrock  Coal  Co 9A543  150 

Muddy  Coal  Co 14,000  50 

Aladdin  Mine 10,468  40 

Mined  at  Thermopolis,  Meeteetse, 
Cody,  Sheridan,  Douglas,  Casper, 
Lander  and  other  places  not  re- 
ported (estimated) 30,000  100 


Totals 4,602,929  5,723 

Natural  Gas. — Accompanying  the  oil  fields  are  numerous 
natural  gas  horizons.  The  gas  pressure  in  the  oil  wells  near 
Lander  is  very  great  and  gas  escapes  are  found  at  or  near  most 
of  the  oil  springs.  At  Brenning  Basin,  near  Douglas,  in  Con- 
verse County,  a  flow  of  gas  has  been  struck  in  two  wells,  at  a 
depth  of  500  feet,  and  the  gas  has  been  piped  and  used  for  fuel 
and  light  in  the  vicinity,  a  pressure  of  300  pounds  per  square 
inch  having  been  noted.  In  the  eastern  part  of  Fremont 
County  there  are  two  natural  gas  escapes  that  are  wonders. 
Some  prospectors  have  dug  shallow  shafts  and  curbed  them  up 
with  logs;  the  shafts  are  partially  filled  with  water  and  the 
gas  escapes  with  such  violence  as  to  cause  the  water  in  them 
to  boil  as  though  in  a  cauldron.  There  are  numerous  anti- 


46  THE;  STATE;  OF  WYOMING. 

clinals  in  the  State  that  are  not  associated  with  the  oil  dis- 
tricts, where  large  flows  of  gas  may  be  looked  for. 

Bituminous  Shale. — In  the  Green  River  Valley  and  at 
Rock  Springs  there  are  great  bands  of  rich  bituminous  shale, 
that  equal  the  shales  of  Scotland,  where  an  army  of  men  are 
employed  and  the  production  is  sold  for  millions  of  dollars 
per  annum.  The  shales  are  burnt  in  a  retort,  and  the  products 
saved  are  gas,  oil,  tar  and  ammonium  sulphate.  The  richest 
of  these  shales  assay  45  per  cent,  of  volatile  matter.  This  in- 
dustry will,  at  no  very  distant  date,  prove  to  be  a  very  val- 
uable one  to  the  State. 

Volcanic  Ash. — In  several  localities  in  Wyoming  volcanic 
ash  has  been  found.  In  Albany  County,  near  Laramie,  there 
is  a  bed  four  feet  in  depth.  It  is  almost  white  and  is  so  fine 
that  the  greater  portion  of  it  will  pass  through  a  loo-mesh 
sieve.  Samples  of  equal  purity  have  been  examined  from 
Carbon  and  Sweetwater  Counties.  This  material  is  used  for 
scouring  purposes.  It  is  the  base  of  sapolio,  and  is  also  used 
in  the  geyserite  soap. 

Graphite. — Veins  of  graphite  are  known  at  French  Creek, 
Plumbago  Canon  and  Halleck  Canon,  in  Albany  County,  and 
in  the  Indian  Grove  Mountains,  in  Carbon  County.  The  veins 
are  large  and  easily  accessible.  Analyses  of  samples  from  the 
various  localities  show  the  carbon  contents  to  vary  from  40 
to  60  per  cent.  So  far  as  known,  the  ore  is  of  the  amorphous 
variety  and  would  make  good  fire-proof  paint,  stove  polish  or 
graphite  crucibles. 

Asphaltum. — Along  the  north  side  of  the  Rattlesnake 
Mountains  there  are  several  deposits  of  asphaltum  that  occur 
below  the  oil  springs.  There  are  also  places  where  the  as- 
phaltum has  penetrated  loose  rock  and  earth.  The  beds  are 
not  very  extensive,  but  are  sufficiently  large  to  pay  for  open- 
ing. There  is  also  another  bed  on  the  Shoshone  Reservation, 
east  of  Fort  Washakie.  This  has  been  formed  about  an  oil 
spring  and  contains  several  thousand  tons.  No  attempt  has 
been  made  to  work  the  deposits.  The  quality  is  excellent, 
quite  free  from  foreign  matter,  and  it  would  make  a  splendid 
paving  material.  There  are  several  small  deposits  in  Uinta 
County. 

Manganese  Ores. — Ores  that  fall  under  this  class  have 
been  found  in  Albany,  Crook,  Sweetwater  and  Uinta  Coun- 
ties. The  development  is  only  slight,  since  the  discoveries 
are  too  far  from  railroads  to  warrant  shipments.  The  ores 


MINERAL  RESOURCES.  47 

• 

are  good  grade,  and  are  found  in  good  sized  veins.  Samples 
from  different  localities  vary  from  40  to  55  per  cent,  man- 
ganese. 

Epsom  Salts. — Epsom  salts  can  be  found  in  small  quan- 
tities throughout  the  arid  region,  but  in  Wyoming  it  is  found 
in  large  beds.  Near  Rock  Creek  there  is  a  depression  contain- 
ing about  ninety  acres  that  is  covered  with  this  salt.  The 
exact  depth  is  not  known.  In  this  immediate  vicinity  there 
are  several  other  beds,  the  total  area  of  the  Epsom  Salt  Lakes 
being  given  at  160  acres.  The  salt  is  as  pure  as  the  com- 
mercial product  that  sells  in  our  drug  stores  for  ten  cents  per 
ounce.  These  deposits  are  near  the  railroad,  and,  if  properly 
handled,  should  enable  a  company  to  control  the  epsom  salt 
trade  of  America. 

Building  Stone. — Building  stones  of  innumerable  varie- 
ties are  common  throughout  the  State.  The  sandstone  quar- 
ries at  Rawlins,  Carbon  County,  have  a  large  output,  which 
is  shipped  to  Colorado,  Utah  and  Nebraska.  The  Capitol  and 
Federal  buildings  at  Cheyenne  and  the  State  Penitentiary  are 
built  of  this  stone.  In  Laramie  County  the  Iron  Mountain 
quarries  furnish  a  beautiful  white  stone,  which  is  much  in 
favor.  Granite,  sandstone,  limestone,  quartzites,  serpentine 
marble  and  marble  onyx  are  included  in  the  varieties.  The 
majority  of  these  are  found  in  inexhaustible  beds,  and  are 
unsurpassed  for  beauty  and  durability.  There  is  no  reason 
why  the  stone  industry  of  Wyoming  should  not  compare 
favorably  with  that  of  any  State. 

Gypsum. — This  mineral  is  very  common  and  is  found  in 
all  varieties.  Beds  varying  from  20  to  100  feet  in  thickness 
are  exposed  along  the  mountain  ranges.  The  mineral  is  very 
pure,  and  can  be  utilized  for  purposes  where  gypsum  is  re- 
quired. 

Plaster  of  Paris. — The  Rocky  Mountain  Plaster  Company 
is  operating  a  plaster  mill  at  Red  Buttes,  which  is  the  only 
one  in  the  State.  There  is  room  and  material  in  sight  to  sup- 
ply a  thousand  mills;  in  fact,  Wyoming  could  furnish  the 
world  with  plaster  of  paris  for  a  thousand  years,  and  then  not 
consider  the  beds  exhausted. 

Natural  Plaster. — In  a  few  localities  deposits  of  what  has 
been  called  a  natural  plaster  have  been  found.  The  mineral 
occurs  in  superficial  deposits,  varying  from  two  to  six  feet  in 
depth.  It  is  pulverulent  and  has  a  light  gray  color.  When  a 
portion  of  the  water  has  been  driven  off,  it  sets  and  forms  a 


48  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

very  hard  cement.  The  Standard  Plaster  Company  of  Lar- 
amie  is  manufacturing  a  plaster  from  beds  recently  opened 
near  Laramie,  and  no  doubt  in  numerous  other  localities  beds 
of  this  natural  plaster  will  be  found  when  prospected  for.  This 
industry  has  more  than  doubled  in  the  last  eighteen  months. 

Clays.— Pressed  and  common  brick  are  manufactured  in 
the  State,  but  at  present  there  are  no  other  clay  industries. 
The  clay  beds  are  in  abundance  and  are  found  in  every  county 
in  the  State.  Common  brick  clay,  fire  clay,  tile  and  terra  cotta 
clay  and  potters'  clay  are  found  in  thick  beds  in  the  sedimentary 
rocks,  and  not  in  superficial  deposits,  as  they  are  usually  seen  in 
the  Northern  and  Eastern  States.  Bentonite,  or  "soap  clay,"  is 
found  in  many  parts  of  the  State,  and  shipments  have  been 
made  from  the  beds  at  Rock  Creek,  Albany  County,  and  New- 
castle, Weston  County,  a  number  of  cars  being  shipped  every 
year  from  each  place.  This  clay  is  used  as  an  adulterant,  as 
a  filler  in  paper  making  and  for  medical  purposes,  being 
worked  up  and  sold  under  the  name  of  "Antiphlogistine." 
The  Rawlins  Pressed  Brick  Company  makes  a  very  fine  qual- 
ity of  pressed  brick.  A  similar  brick  is  made  at  Laramie, 
Cheyenne,  Douglas  and  other  points  where  the  clays  have 
been  investigated  and  their  worth  proven.  Nearly  every  small 
town  has  brick  yards  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  as  the  clays  are 
universal,  and  some  remarkably  fine  commercial  brick  are 
made.  The  clay  also  makes  very  fine  tiling  for  floors,  fire- 
places and  all  kinds  of  pottery  and  piping. 

Tin. — Black  oxide  of  tin  has  been  known  in  veins  and  as 
stream  tin  in  the  Wyoming  portion  of  the  Black  Hills  for 
many  years.  Tons  of  stream  tin  have  been  mined  and  sold. 
The  veins  are  slightly  developed.  Prior  to  the  failure  of  the 
Dakota  tin  mining  companies,  the  prospects  on  the  west  side 
of  the  hills  were  considered  quite  valuable.  There  are  good 
veins  of  tin  of  average  richness,  and  before  many  years  the  tin 
mines  of  Dakota  and  Wyoming  will  be  worked.  Wyoming 
gained  a  medal  at  the  World's  Fair  for  her  exhibit  of  stream  tin. 

Salt. — Near  Cambria,  W^eston  County,  a  plant  has  been 
built  to  manufacture  salt  from  Salt  Springs,  the  water  of  which 
contains  twenty-two  per  cent,  salt,  and  other  springs  equally 
fine  are  noted  in  Johnson  and  Uinta  Counties.  In  the  latter 
place  salt  is  produced  for  local  consumption. 

Quartz. — The  Laramie  Mountains  abound  in  large  veins 
of  pure  quartz.  When  ground,  it  is  valuable  for  glass  making. 

Glass  Sand. — There  are  numerous  places  in  the  State  where 
glass  sand  is  found.  The  beds  near  Laramie  have  been  worked 
and  proven. 


MINERAL  RESOURCES.  49 

Mica. — Muscovite  mica,  the  mica  of  commerce,  is  very 
plentiful  in  Wyoming,  but  there  are  only  a  few  localities  where 
it  has  been  found  in  "book"  of  sufficient  size  to  warrant  mining. 
In  Whalen  Canon,  some  eight  or  ten  miles  from  Hartville,  and 
at  Grand  Encampment,  there  are  numerous  large  veins  of  feld- 
spar containing  first-class  mica.  The  former  has  been  worked 
to  some  extent  and  a  small  shipment  made.  Sheets  squaring 
six  inches  have  been  taken  out  near  the  surface.  It  is  first 
quality  in  every  respect. 

Feldspar. — Orthoclase  feldspar  occurs  in  large  veins  in 
"\Yhalen  Canon.  It  is  free  from  detrimental  minerals  and  could 
be  used  for  all  purposes  where  orthoclase  could  be  used. 

Sulphur. — Extensive  deposits  of  native  sulphur  are  known 
in  Uinta  County.  While  claims  are  held  by  prospectors,  no 
attempt  has  been  made  to  refine  the  crude  brimtsone,  which 
assays  from  40  to  70  per  cent,  of  sulphur.  There  are  also  very 
extensive  deposits  above  Cody  on  the  Shoshone  River,  and  on 
Sunlight  Creek,  north  of  Cody. 

Bismuth. — Bismuth  ore  of  rare  purity  has  been  mined  at 
Jelm  Mountain,  and  shipped  to  the  East  for  reduction.  The 
ore  is  a  mixture  of  carbonates  and  metallic  bismuth,  and  assays 
from  50  to  65  per  cent. 

Sulphate  of  Aluminum. — This  mineral,  which  is  usually 
called  native  alum,  occurs  in  extensive  deposits  in  Sweetwater 
and  Big  Horn  Counties.  It  is  the  principal  salt  used  in  manu- 
facturing commercial  alums,  and  for  this  purpose  it  should  be 
used  in  connection  with  the  natural  soda. 

Fibrous  Talc. — A  very  large  vein  of  fibrous  talc  exists  in 
the  range  of  mountains  west  of  Wheatland.  The  quality  is  ex- 
cellent. This  mineral  is  used  extensively  in  the  East,  and  as 
soon  as  the  proper  transportation  can  be  furnished  the  Wyo- 
ming deposits  will  be  worked. 

Decomposed  Granite. — Some  seven  years  ago  the  Union 
Pacific  Railroad  Company  commenced  loading  decomposed 
granite  from  a  point  near  Sherman  and  hauling  it  out  as  bal- 
last. It  was  found  to  be  far  superior  to  any  other  stone  for 
this  purpose.  In  1900  the  company  loaded  500,000  tons,  the 
most  of  which  was  used  for  railroad  purposes ;  but  it  was  also, 
to  some  extent,  sold  for  road  building  in  cities,  a  use  to  which 
it  is  well  adapted  and  for  which  it  will,  in  the  near  future,  be 
extensively  used. 


5O  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

Natural  Pigments. — Soft  iron  ores  have  been  used  for  red 
paint  for  years.  For  many  years  paint  mills  were  operated  at 
Rawlins.  The  Brooklyn  bridge  was  originally  painted  with 
this  paint.  More  recently  the  ore  has  been  snipped  to  other 
States  to  be  ground.  The  soft  hematite  ores  are  in  large  bodies 
and  make  a  first-class  paint.  Ochres  of  various  shades  are 
known,  but  the  beds  have  not  been  worked.  Graphite  and  the 
low  grade  asbestos  that  would  make  an  excellent  fire-proof 
paint  are  found  in  large  bodies. 

Semi-Precious  Stones. — The  semi-precious  stones  are  in 
abundance.  Quartz  crystals,  agates,  jaspers,  moss-agates,  pet- 
rified wood,  garnets  and  beryls  are  the  important  ones.  The 
moss-agates  are  the  best  found  in  the  world.  A  beautiful  col- 
lection of  these  stones,  which  took  medals  at  the  World's  Fair 
in  1893,  may  be  seen  at  the  State  Capitol  at  Cheyenne.  Thus 
far  no  precious  stones  have  been  reported. 

Asbestos. — There  are  two  minerals  called  asbestos,  one  a 
serpentine  and  the  other  amphibole.  The  latter  is  the  true  as- 
bestos, but  the  former  is  sold  under  the  same  name  and  used  in 
the  same  way.  The  asbestos  that  is  found  in  Wyoming,  with 
the  exception  of  small  specimens,  belongs  to  the  serpentine 
variety  and  is  known  as  crysolite.  Valuable  deposits  of  this 
mineral  have  been  found  in  Natrona,  Albany  and  Carbon  Coun- 
ties. Natrona  County  has  marketed  some  of  the  mineral,  and 
with  a  railroad  into  the  central  portion  of  the  State,  a  trade  in 
this  mineral  can  readily  be  built  up,  as  workable  deposits  are 
known  to  exist  north  of  Laramie  Peak  in  the  Seminoe  Moun- 
tains. 

Natural  Soda. — Extensive  deposits  of  natural  soda  are 
known  in  Carbon,  Natrona  and  Albany  Counties.  Numerous 
springs  contain  considerable  soda,  and  at  Green  River  a  well 
yields  a  saturated  solution  of  sodium  carbonate,  which  is 
shipped  by  the  car  load.  The  deposits  vary  in  size  from  a  few 
to  one  hundred  acres,  and  the  soda  ranges  from  a  few  inches 
to  sixteen  feet,  and  possibly  more.  These  deposits  are  chiefly 
sodium  sulphate,  but  there  are  carbonates  and  bi-carbonates 
in  some  localities.  Along  the  Sweetwater  River  there  are  de- 
posits that  contain  sixty  per  cent,  carbonate  of  soda.  Attempts 
have  been  made  to  work  these  great  deposits  of  soda,  but  so  far, 
owing  to  lack  of  railroad  facilities,  they  have  not  been  suc- 
cessful. The  sulphate,  when  dried  and  calcined,  has  been  sold 
in  the  East  for  glass  making,  and  was  used  at  the  Laramie  Glass 
Factory.  With  proper  machinery,  these  great  beds  of  soda  can 
be  utilized  and  would  bring  in  a  large  revenue. 


MINERAL  RESOURCES.  51 

The  most  valuable  natural  soda  discovered  in  Wyoming  is 
what  is  known  as  sodium  carbonate,  or  the  sal  soda  of  com- 
merce, and  can  be  derived  in  inexhaustible  quantities  from 
wells,  averaging  a  depth  of  two  hundred  feet,  at  Green  River, 
the  county  seat  of  Sweetwater  County,  and  on  the  line  of  the 
Union  Pacific  railroad.  Samples  of  water  taken  from  num- 
erous wells  at  Green  River  yield  an  analysis  of  twenty  per 
cent,  of  sal  soda  crystals.  Prof.  Gilbert  C.  Wheeler  of  Chicago, 
a  chemist  of  acknowledged  reputation,  furnishes  the  Green 
River  Fuel  and  Oil  Company  with  the  following  analysis  of  the 
crude  soda  of  Green  River  : 

Silica 0.5 1 

Iron  and  aluminum 0.42 

Calcium 0.64 

Magnesium 0.27 

Insoluble  residue 0.23 

Water 22.57 

Anhydrous  carbonate  of  soda 75-36 


100.00 

This  is  practically  more  pure  than  the  sal  soda  of  commerce 
and  the  cheapness  with  which  it  can  be  produced  by  simple 
evaporation  offers  great  inducement  for  the  investment  of 
capital. 

Mineral  Springs. — Wyoming  is  prominent  for  her  mineral 
springs.  If  we  take  into  our  estimate  the  Yellowstone  Park, 
this  alone  surpasses  the  rest  of  the  world  in  the  number  and 
magnificence  of  its  waters.  The  mineral  springs  include  hot, 
cold,  sulphur,  iron  and  the  alkaline  earths,  and  genuine  mud 
springs.  Notable  ones,  but  by  no  means  the  most  important, 
are  at  Death  Lake,  where  they  number  more  than  four  hun- 
dred. 

A  group  of  some  fifty  famous  hot  springs  in  the  Platte 
Valley  at  Saratoga,  in  Carbon  County,  have  a  temperature  of 
130  degrees  F.,  have  been  extensively  improved  and  have 
been  used  for  twenty  years  to  the  great  benefit  of  the  invalid 
visitor.  The  waters  contain  sulphur,  alkalies,  salts  and  salts 
of  iron.  (See  article  on  Carbon  County.) 

At  Thermopolis,  in  the  Big  Horn  Basin,  the  hot  springs 
have  an  analysis  nearly  identical  with  the  waters  at  the  Hot 
Springs,  Arkansas.  These  are  protected  by  State  law,  and  are 
under  the  control  of  the  Board  of  Chanties  and  Reform. 

A  famous  hot  spring  is  located  two  miles  west  of  Fort 
Washakie,  on  the  Shoshone  Reservation.  This  spring  is  320 
feet  long  by  250  feet  broad,  with  an  average  temperature  of 


52  THE;  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

149  degrees  F.  The  minerals  held  in  solution  are  medicinal. 
It  is  held  in  great  repute  by  both  whites  and  Indians  as  cura- 
tive of  rheumatism  and  neuralgia. 

In  Beaver  Canon,  north  of  Sheep  Mountain,  a  sulphur 
spring,  with  a  temperature  of  90  degrees  F.,  is  found,  and 
near  by  are  cold  springs,  which  contain  soda  in  solution,  sul- 
phur, iron  compounds,  sulphuretted  hydrogen,  gases  and  car- 
bonic acid.  Another  equally  large,  of  sulphur,  having  a  tem- 
perature of  97  degrees  F.,  exists  in  Fremont  County,  and  is 
much  sought  by  people  outside  of  the  State  suffering  with 
stomach,  kidney,  liver  and  bowel  disorders. 

A  spring  with  a  temperature  of  108  degrees  F.  is  located 
ten  miles  below  old  Fort  Laramie ;  another  at  the  head  of 
West  Horse  Creek,  whose  temperature  is  104  degrees  F. ; 
still  another  in  the  Platte  Canon,  at  the  east  end  of  the  Semi- 
noe  Mountains,  having  a  temperature  of  98  degrees  F.  There 
are  many  other  springs  scattered  throughout  the  State,  whose 
analysis  suggests  that  they  possess  valuable  medicinal  qual- 
ities, but  owing  to  the  limited  number  of  people,  lack  of  trans- 
portation and  consequent  small  demand  for  mineral  water,  it 
has  been  impossible  to  develop  many  of  them.  Mention  should 
also  be  made  of  the  cold  springs  containing  sulphur,  carbonic 
acid  and  iron,  which  are  found  near  Rawlins  and  at  Evanston. 
At  the  headwaters  of  the  South  Powder  and  along  Salt  Creek 
are  found  a  large  number  of  salt  springs,  which  also  contain 
sulphate  of  soda  in  solution. 

Limestone. — The  unprecedented  demand  for  a  pure  lime- 
stone, to  be  used  in  the  sugar  beet  factories  in  Colorado,  has 
developed  a  trade  at  Laramie,  Albany  County,  and  Hartville, 
Laramie  County,  and  some  thousands  of  tons  are  shipped 
annually  from  these  quarries.  The  limestone  is  very  pure, 
containing  98  per  cent,  calcium  carbonate,  with  very  little 
silica,  or  injurious  materials.  This  same  stone  exists  in  many 
other  parts  of  the  State,  and  factories  may  be  assured  of  a 
constant  supply  in  almost  any  locality  where  the  beets  can 
be  grown. 

Iron. — Second  to  those  of  no  State  in  the  Union  are  the 
deposits  of  iron  ore.  Prospecting  along  this  line  has  not  been 
carried  on  to  any  extent,  and  only  iron  districts  reasonably 
near  the  railroad  have  received  any  attention.  The  greatest 
deposits  are  the  red  hematite,  quite  free  from  sulphur  and 
phosphorus,  and  quite  low  in  silica.  The  only  districts  where 
development  or  mining  has  been  carried  on  are  Hartville, 
Rawlins  and  Seminoe.  In  these  camps  are  large  deposits  of 


MINERAL  RESOURCES.  53 

soft  ore,  which  makes  an  excellent  pigment.  The  hard  ores 
are  found  beneath  the  surface  in  bodies  varying  from  ten  to 
one  hundred  feet  in  thickness.  Rawlins  and  Hartville  or 
Guernsey  have  furnished  thousands  of  tons  of  ore  to  be  used 
by  the  Salt  Lake  and  Denver  smelters  as  a  flux  for  lead  and 
copper  smelting,  and  two  railroads  have  been  built  to  the 
Hartville  mines.  Besides  the  hematite,  there  are  great  de- 
posits of  magnetite  in  the  Laramie  Mountains,  and  beds  of 
clay  ironstone  in  the  cretaceous  rocks  in  several  localities. 
Hematite  ore  has  been  found  in  Crook,  Uinta,  Johnson,  Fre- 
mont, Big  Horn,  Albany  and  Sheridan  Counties.  The  ores 
examined  are  of  exceptional  purity,  but  because  of  lack  of 
transportation  facilities,  the  deposits  have  not  been  opened 
up  or  worked  on  a  commercial  scale. 

Iron  Mines  at  Guernsey. — The  Hartville  iron  range  in  Lar- 
amie County,  now  known  throughout  the  country  as  containing 
the  finest  and  most  extensive  deposits  of  Bessemer  steel  ores  in 
the  world,  has  become  a  scene  of  vast  operations.  Two  rail- 
roads, the  Burlington  and  the  Colorado  and  Wyoming,  have 
been  built  into  these  great  iron  fields.  The  mines  now  being 
worked  are  owned  by  the  Wyoming  Railway  and  Iron  Com- 
pany and  held  under  lease  by  the  Colorado  Fuel  and  Iron  Com- 
pany. This  company  has  a  capital  of  $25,000,000,  and  is  rapidly 
enlarging  its  plant  at  Pueblo,  Colorado,  making  it  one  of  the 
largest  in  the  country.  The  mines  are  located  at  Sunrise,  in 
the  center  of  the  iron  belt,  where  a  town  has  been  built,  and 
the  work  is  progressing  on  an  extensive  scale. 

The  ore  is  mined  in  great  open  cuts,  where  the  ore  is 
blasted  down  from  the  sides  and  loaded  into  cars  by  steam 
shovels,  three  of  which  are  in  active  use  daily ;  the  cars  being 
run  into  the  cuts  on  side  tracks  from  the  main  railroad  and  the 
ore  shipped  direct  from  the  cuts  with  as  little  handling  as  pos- 
sible. In  this  manner  over  400,000  gross  tons  of  ore  have  been 
mined,  which,  at  a  mine  value  of  $1.50  per  ton,  gives  $660,000 
worth  of  crude  iron  ore.  During  the  past  year  a  three  compart- 
ment shaft,  350  feet  deep,  has  been  sunk,  and  three  levels  started 
to  develop  the  underlying  beds  of  iron  ore  hitherto  neglected. 
This  department  will  greatly  increase  the  output  of  the  mines 
and  be  a  permanent  part  of  the  work. 

The  known  area  of  the  iron  belt,  which  begins  at  Guernsey, 
on  the  south,  and  runs  to  the  head  of  Whalen  Canon,  in  a  north- 
easterly direction,  ten  miles,  with  an  average  width  of  three 
miles,  covers  thirty  square  miles.  The  greatness  of  the  deposit 
is  shown  by  the  fact  that,  although  the  Colorado  Fuel  and  Iron 
Company  has  a  lease  of  seventy-two  patented  mines,  the  pres- 
ent enormous  output  is  obtained  by  working  only  two  mines. 


54  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

The  ores  are  exceptionally  pure  and  of  the  highest  grade 
known,  showing  from  65  to  68  per  cent,  metallic  iron,  from  two 
and  one-half  to  five  per  cent,  silica,  and  are  practically  free  from 
sulphur  and  phosphorus. 

Rawlins  Hematite. — Two  miles  north  of  Rawlins,  Carbon 
County,  there  is  a  large  deposit  of  red  hematite  ore,  occurring 
in  a  metamorphosed  sandstone  capped  with  limestone.  The 
ore  is  remarkably  pure.  In  this  vicinity  there  are  several  other 
locations  which  contain  similar  deposits. 

Analysis  of  Rawlins  Hematite. 

Peroxide  of  iron 94.22 

Silica 1.71 

Sulphur i  .24 

Phosphorus Trace 

Titanic  acid None 

Water 37 

Ca,  Mg  and  Mn No  estimate 

Seminoe  Iron  Deposits. — One  of  the  largest  deposits  of 
iron  in  Wyoming  occurs  in  the  Seminoe  Mountains,  at  the  foot 
of  Bradley's  Peak,  Carbon  County.  Bradley's  Peak  had  been 
called  a  mountain  or  iron  ore,  containing  not  less  than  1,500,000 
tons,  and  when  development  is  begun  here  this  locality  will 
furnish  an  important  part  of  the  iron  ore  to  be  smelted  in 
Wyoming,  as  this  ore  can  be  mined  and  loaded  in  the  cars 
for  fifteen  cents  per  ton. 

The  following  composition  analysis  shows  the  superiority 
of  Wyoming  iron  over  other  irons  of  repute: 

Seminoe.      Pilot  Knob.  Lake  Superior. 

Iron 67.66  59-J5  60.69 

Oxygen 28.99  25-23  26.01 

Silica 72  J3-27  9.82 

Lime 1.23                     .21  .57 

Magnesia 68                     .14  .24 

Alumina 21  2.19  1.64 

Titanic  acid 04  ....  .... 

Phosphoric  oxide .04  .14 

Sulphur ....  .02 

Four-ninths  of  the  phosphoric  oxide  is  the  amount  of  phos- 
phorus. 


MINERAL  RESOURCES.  55 

GOLD  DISTRICTS. 
The  South  Pass  Gold  District,  Fremont  County. 

This  district  is  situated  in  the  south  central  part  of  Fre- 
mont County,  Wyoming,  near  the  southern  end  of  the  Wind 
River  range  of  mountains  and  about  sixty  miles  in  a  direct  line 
north  of  Point  of  Rocks  station  on  the  Union  Pacific  railroad, 
the  nearest  railroad  point. 

Gold  was  discovered  in  this  region  in  1842,  and  from  that 
time  until  1869  efforts  were  made  to  work  the  rich  placers 
known  to  exist  there,  when  the  great  rush  to  South  Pass  oc- 
curred in  the  latter  year,  and  the  placers  rich  enough  to  pay 
when  worked  on  a  limited  crude  scale  were  promptly  worked 
out  and  the  miners  sought  other  opportunities  in  the  then  new 
fields  of  Colorado  and  Montana. 

Geology. — The  district  may  be  said  to  consist  of  an  island 
of  metamorphic  schists  of  the  Algonkian  period  lying  upon  the 
granites  of  the  Archean  and  with  several  intrusions  of  granite 
and  dyke  rocks  in  the  schists  at  different  localities.  The  gran- 
ites of  this  section  of  the  Wind  River  range  are  usually  the 
common  red  feldsitic  granite,  and  here  show  an  occasional  gray 
granite  island  or  band,  usually  of  limited  extent.  Dykes  of 
diorite  and  allied  rocks  are  also  noted  in  the  granite,  but  to  the 
present  time  nothing  of  value  has  been  reported  from  this 
region. 

.  The  schists  show  for  a  distance  of  about  thirty  miles  long, 
from  ten  to  twelve  miles  wide,  the  longer  axis  bearing  north- 
easterly and  southwesterly,  in  the  same  general  direction  as  the 
strike  of  the  schists,  and  with  a  general  dip  to  the  north,  varying 
from  45  degrees  to  the  perpendicular.  Around  these  schists 
are  the  granites  on  the  northwest  and  the  succeeding  sedi- 
mentary formations  on  the  northeast  and  the  tertiary  forma- 
tions on  the  southerly  sides.  The  schists  vary  in  composition 
in  different  parts  of  the  district,  but  are  usually  horn-blende 
schists,  with  some  mica  schists  and  chlorite  schist  associated 
therewith,  and,  as  a  rule,  these  varieties  are  very  fine  grained. 
Some  tourmaline,  pyrite  and  magnetite  are  also  noted. 

Nearly  all  the  rocks  of  this  region,  but  especially  the  above 
mentioned  schists,  show  strong  evidence  of  alteration  and 
change,  in  many  instances  giving  an  appearance  entirely  for- 
eign to  the  character  of  rock,  but  an  examination  with  an  ordi- 
nary field  lens  is  often  sufficient  to  determine  the  true  character 
at  once.  This  altering  material  is  usually  silica,  and  where  the 
rocks  are  weathered  as  on  an  exposed  outcrop,  a  hard  quartzose 


56  THE:  STATE;  OF  WYOMING. 

character  is  noted,  and  these  are  frequently  called  "dykes,"  but 
are  simply  altered  schists  and  frequently  carry  gold  values. 
Dykes  occur  in  these  schists,  especially  at  the  old  Miner's 
Delight  mine  at  Peabody  Hill,  where  diorite  and  diabase  dykes 
are  noted  ;  at  the  Mary  Ellen  Hill,  near  Atlantic ;  at  the  Carissa 
at  South  Pass,  and  along  the  northwesterly  edge  of  the  schist 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  Little  Joe,  and  at  Gold  Creek. 

At  the  Miner's  Delight  dykes  of  porphyritic  material  are 
noted,  and  these  extend  to  the  "Rustler  belt,"  north  of  Atlantic 
City,  where  the  Mormon  Crevice  and  Poitre  estate  properties 
have  produced  very  rich  ore. 

The  Carissa  Mine  at  South  Pass. — This  property,  located 
in  1867,  has  been  a  phenomenal  producer  for  many  years,  and 
development  work  is  being  carried  on  at  the  present  time.  The 
development  consists  of  some  2,300  feet  of  drifting,  etc.,  with 
a  shaft  384  feet  deep ;  following  the  dip  to  the  vein,  equipped 
with  hoist  and  necessary  appliances  for  handling  the  ore.  The 
Carissa  ore  occurs  in  quartz  lenses,  lying  in  the  schist,  having 
the  same  dip  and  strike  as  the  schist,  and  these  lenses  occur  at 
irregular  intervals.  This  applies  principally  to  the  high  grade 
ores,  as  the  greatest  development  has  been  done  on  these  high 
grade  chutes,  leaving  the  low  grades  to  remain  intact  until  the 
proper  facilities  could  be  at  hand  to  treat  them  economically. 

Associated  with  the  quartz  lenses  are  bodies  of  mineralized 
schist  carryiny  pay  values  in  gold,  and  lying  between  or  near 
the  lenses  have  been  found  schist  ores  of  very  high  grade,  but 
with  the  usual  intervals  of  lower  grade  material  in  the  same  ore.. 

In  the  upper  portion  of  the  Carissa  workings  the  usual 
oxidized  ores  were  found,  and  these  were  very  rich,  as  shown 
by  the  early  history  of  the  mine.  The  ore  is  run  through  a  ten- 
stamp  mill,  over  amalgamating  plates  and  concentrating  tables,. 
the  concentrates  being  saved  and  the  tailings  settled  with  a 
view  of  cyaniding,  this  process  having  been  experimented  with 
and  has  given  most  successful  results  with  these  ores.  The  full 
extent  of  the  ores  in  this  mine  has  not  yet  been  determined,  but 
it  is  without  doubt  that  a  great  mine  is  here,  and  with  proper 
development  and  treatment  of  the  ore,  may  be  yet  made  a  great 
property.  , 

At  South  Pass  the  Franklin,  the  Curry  and  the  Carry- 
Shields  and  others  are  lying  idle  for  want  of  capital  to  push 
their  further  development,  and  are  entitled  to  a  close  investiga- 
tion. A  recent  discovery  is  the  Copper  Surprise,  one  mile  north 
of  the  town,  where  a  strong  lead  has  been  cut  into  and  shows 
considerable  copper  pyrites,  carrying  fair  values  in  gold,  that 
promises  well  for  the  future. 

Atlantic. — Atlantic  City  is  situated  in  the  central  part  of  • 


MINERAL  RESOURCES.  57 

the  working  district,  four  miles  east  of  South  Pass,  and  here  is 
the  working  headquarters  of  the  Dexter  Mining  and  Develop- 
ment Company,  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  the  principal  operator  here 
at  the  present  time,  who  have  recently  added  to  their  original 
large  holdings  and  are  now  operating  the  Tabor  Grand  and 
Dexter  Tunnel,  besides  a  number  of  smaller  works  for  assess- 
ment, etc.  This  company  holds  the  placer  ground  on  Rock 
Creek  of  the  old  Christina  Lake  Placer  Company,  taking  the 
necessary  water  for  hydraulic  working  from  Christina  Lake 
and  Rock  Creek,  using  about  twenty-five  miles  of  ditches, 
flumes,  etc.,  for  the  purpose,  and  a  good  supply  of  water  is 
secured. 

The  Tabor  Grand  is  doing  development  work  and  stoping 
ore  from  a  small  slope  above  the  main  tunnel,  the  ore  being 
treated  in  a  Huntington  mill  and  the  tailings  held  for  future 
treatment. 

The  Dexter  Tunnel  is  being  driven  to  cross-cut  several 
well  defined  and  well  known  leads  for  development  purposes, 
and  will  cut  these  different  leads  at  depths  varying  from  217 
feet  to  395  feet  in  a  total  length  of  2,800  feet,  some  six  leads 
crossing  the  line  of  the  tunnel. 

The  Rose  Vein  is  on  the  line  of  this  tunnel,  and  when  this 
vein  is  cut  good  ore  may  confidently  be  expected,  as  the  Rose 
has  produced  some  of  the  richest  ore  of  the  district,  but  what 
has  hitherto  been  one  of  the  most  difficult  ores  to  save. 

The  Mormon  Crevice  is  another  rich  lead  that  crosses  the 
tunnel  line,  and  the  tunnel  will  develop  a  number  of  properties 
at  a  depth  sufficient  to  determine  beyond  a  doubt  their  values 
and  extent. 

The  Garfield  mine  is  being  operated  on  a  more  extensive 
scale  than  ever  before,  and  with  new  mill  and  equipment  will 
be  a  producer  in  a  short  time. 

The  Ground  Hog  Group  on  Rock  Creek,  above  Atlantic,  is 
one  of  the  best  prospects  in  the  district,  and  shows  character- 
istics similar  to  the  Carissa,  having  the  lenses  of  quartz  ore  and 
the  heavily  mineralized  schist  carrying  profitable  values.  De- 
velopment work  only  has  been  done  on  this  property,  and  it 
has  shown  up  a  fine  proposition  for  further  development  on  a 
larger  scale. 

Development  work  has  been  done  on  the  Mary  Ellen,  near 
the  Tabor  Grand,  and  the  ore  milled  by  a  Huntington  mill  with 
success.  This  vein  is  a  fissure,  and  shows  very  rich  ore  and  is 
unique  among  the  bedded  veins  of  this  locality,  but  is  evidently 
a  valuable  property. 

The  Pay  Rock  Group  at  Peabody  Hill  shows  a  number  of 
veins,  or  quartz  stringers,  in  what  is  evidently  a  huge  body  of 


58  THE;  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

ore,  but  so  far  developed  only  to  a  shallow  depth  and  only  on 
the  rich  streaks.  Some  500  feet  of  development  work  has  been 
done,  mostly  drifts,  and  considerable  ore  taken  out,  most  of 
which  milled  profitably.  A  tunnel  has  been  run  in  some  600 
feet,  at  a  point  near  the  foot  of  the  hill,  but  has  not  yet  reached 
the  vein. 

On  the  east  side  of  Peabody  Hill  the  old  Miner's  Delight 
mine  is  located  and  is  said  to  have  produced  $1,000,000  in  gold, 
but  has  been  abandoned  for  years. 

The  vein  is  a  fissure  from  four  to  six  feet  wide,  associated 
with  the  coarse  crystalline  porphyry  noted  above  and  contained 
very  rich  gold  values,  but  was  not  developed  over  200  feet  in 
depth,  as  far  as  can  now  be  ascertained.  This  ore  was  free  mill- 
ing and  milled  on  the  ground,  but  no  effort  was  made  to  do 
economical  work  and  the  percentage  saved  was  of  small  im- 
portance at  that  time. 

Lewiston. — At  this  camp,  which  was  opened  up  in  1879, 
when  the  famous  Burr  mine  was  discovered,  development  has 
been  slow  for  the  past  few  years,  but  this  season  the  several 
prominent  properties  have  been  taken  up  by  new  capitalists 
and  renewed  activity  is  apparent.  The  Burr  shows  the  same 
lens  condition  hitherto  noted  and  has  been  very  rich,  but  aside 
from  the  workings  on  the  original  lens,  little  development  has 
taken  place.  The  ore  was  free  milling  and  easily  handled. 

Productions. — The  amount  of  gold  produced  from  twenty- 
eight  properties  in  this  district  since  its  discovery  is  $3,728,000. 
The  gold  taken  from  the  great  placers  in  the  early  days  of  the 
district,  before  anyone  thought  of  statistics,  can  only  be  esti- 
mated and  is  placed  at  from  $2,000,000  to  $3,000,000.  In  this 
locality  at  the  present  time  there  are  twelve  properties  working, 
employing  fifty  men. 

Other  Gold  Camps. 

The  other  gold  producing  districts  in  the  State  are  scat- 
tered, and  at  present  are  limited  in  area.  Placers  are  still 
worked  on  a  small  scale  on  the  head  waters  of  Snake  River,  in 
the  southern  end  of  Carbon  County,  and  at  Welcome  Gulch,  in 
the  eastern  edge  of  Crook  County,  but  the  returns  are  not  avail- 
able. In  the  latter  locality  lode  mining  has  been  active  in  the 
past  year,  where  the  Golden  Empire  Mining  Company  has  had 
forty  men  constantly  employed  doing  development  work.  Tun- 
nels aggregating  7,000  feet  long  have  been  constructed  and  a 
shaft  200  feet  deep  sunk  to  supply  ore  for  a  twenty-stamp  mill. 
The  formations  noted  are  the  fine  grained  schists,  granites,  etc., 


MINERAL  RESOURCES.  59 

•with  some  intrusions  of  trachite  and  allied  rocks,  overlain  with 
limestone  and  the  succeeding  sedimentary  formations. 

Returns  of  gold  working  properties  are  received  from  the 
Sunlight  mines,  in  Big  Horn  County ;  from  Kirwin,  on  the  head 
of  Wood  Rver.  and  the  South  Fork  of  the  Shoshone  River,  in 
the  same  county. 

A  number  of  placer  works  are  scattered  along  the  waters 
of  the  streams  in  the  Wind  River  and  Owl  Mountains  in  Fre- 
mont and  Big  Horn  Counties,  and  in  the  Big  Horn  Mountains 
west  of  Sheridan  some  properties  have  been  worked  for  gold 
in  the  cement  deposits  on  Bald  Mountains. 

At  Centennial,  Gold  Hill  and  Jelm  Mountain,  in  Albany 
County,  there  are  a  number  of  properties  working  for  gold 
alone. 

Placers  are  well  known  in  Carbon,  Albany,  Big  Horn  and 
Fremont  Counties,  and  thousands  of  dollars  have  been  taken 
out  in  the  past,  but  at  present,  aside  from  small  bars  worked  by 
hand  or  on  a  limited  scale,  no  work  of  this  sort  is  now  going  on, 
as  the  great  areas  of  placer  ground  now  available  require  large 
plants,  water  power  and  machinery  for  handling  the  tailings 
or  waste,  and  this  is  only  possible  to  large  corporations  with 
money  and  brains  at  their  command. 

COPPER  DISTRICTS. 
Grand  Encampment  District. 

The  district  popularly  known  as  the  "Grand  Encampment" 
country  lies  in  the  southern  part  of  Carbon  County  and  the 
southwestern  corner  of  Albany  County,  south  of  the  main  line 
of  the  Union  Pacific  railroad. 

Mining  has  been  carried  on  in  this  region  from  the  earliest 
known  period  of  the  State's  settlement,  but  the  first  permanent 
work  was  in  1872  in  the  Kurtz-Chatterton  property  on  Copper 
Creek,  west  of  where  Encampment  now  stands.  It  was  not 
until  1897-8  that  the  district  became  prominent  by  reason  of 
some  rich  gold  ores  found  in  Purgatory  Gulch,  a  small  trib- 
utary of  the  South  Fork  of  the  Grand  Encampment  River,  and 
the  town  of  Grand  Encampment  was  started. 

The  discovery  of  the  Ferris-Haggarty  copper  mine  on  the 
North  Fork  of  Battle  Creek  followed  in  the  winter  of  1898,  and 
attention  was  then  turned  to  copper,  with  the  result  that  the 
region  is  being  thoroughly  exploited  and  bids  fair  to  become  a 
permanent  copper  producer. 

The  district  is  somewhat  irregular  in  shape.  The  tract  em- 
braced in  the  known  mineralized  country  extends  along  the 
Wyoming-Colorado  State  line,  easterly  and  westerly,  for  a  dis- 


60  THE;  STATE;  OF  WYOMING. 

tance  of  about  eighty  miles,  and  northerly  and  southerly  for  a 
distance  of  from  fifteen  miles  at  Encampment  to  forty  miles  at 
Elk  Mountain,  near  Saratoga,  comprising  about  2,000  square 
miles  of  mountain  and  valley. 

The  North  Platte  River,  which  rises  in  Colorado,  in  this 
locality  flows  northwesterly  and  divides  the  district  into  two 
distinct  halves,  with  a  valley  some  fifteen  miles  wide  lying  be- 
tween and  watered  by  numerous  tributary  streams  on  each  side. 
Parallel  with  the  river  are  mountain  ranges  on  either  side,  that 
on  the  east  being  known  as  the  Medicine  Bow  range,  and  with 
this  range  a  series  of  approximately  parallel  or  connected 
smaller  ranges,  such  as  Elk,  Coad  and  Wood  Mountains. 

On  the  west  is  the  Sierra  Madre  range,  composed  of  a  num- 
ber of  similar  ranges,  known  by  various  local  names,  and  these 
form  part  of  the  great  Continental  Divide.  Both  these  ranges 
enclose  numerous  parks  and  valleys,  and  in  the  main  Platte 
Valley  in  the  Encampment  vicinity  are  a  number  of  smaller 
hills  or  ranges,  forming  local  divides  between  the  smaller 
streams. 

Geology. — The  Sierra  Madre  Mountains  consist  of  an  irreg- 
ular core  of  granite,  with  smaller  islands  and  spurs  of  the  same 
material  showing  both  in  and  through  the  associated  metamor- 
phic  formations.  The  granite  is  usually  of  a  reddish  feldsitic 
variety,  in  many  instances  much  altered,  and  showing  little 
quartz  or  mica,  but  in  others  showing  a  predominance  of  quartz, 
inclining  to  the  gray  granites  of  Colorado,  and  frequently  show- 
ing strong  evidences  of  metamorphism,  especially  in  the  out- 
crops, and  which  is  usually  limited  in  extent. 

In  the  vicinity  of  Encampment  huge  veins  of  white  quartz, 
or  "bull  quartz,"  are  seen,  but  to  the  present  time  nothing  of 
importance  has  been  found  in  this  quartz. 

The  metamorphic  formations  consist  principally  of  Algon- 
kian  schists,  usually  lying  on  the  granites  and  having  a  varying 
dip  and  trend  or  direction  in  different  parts  of  the  district. 
These  schists  are  of  a  number  of  varieties,  some  of  which  are 
local  or  limited  in  extent,  the  usual  schist  being  a  fine  grained 
black  mica  schist,  and  fine  hornblende  and  tourmaline  schist  in 
bands  varying  from  a  few  feet  to  several  hundred  feet  in  width. 
Associated  with  these  varieties  have  been  noted  muscovite  or 
white  mica  schists  and  gneiss,  cerisite  schist,  garnet  schist  on 
Upper  Cow  Creek,  chlorite  schist  and  amphibolite  schist  in 
various  localities. 

The  dyke  rocks  noted  are  mainly  diorites,  some  diabase  and 
allied  dark  colored  dyke  rocks.  These  dykes  vary  in  size  from  a 
thin  band  a  few  inches  thick  to  a  huge  sheet  of  several  hundred 


MINERAL  RESOURCES.  61 

feet  in  thickness,  and  generally  lie  conformably  with  the  ad- 
jacent schist,  having  the  same  trend  or  direction  and  the  same 
dip,  but  instances  are  noted,  as  on  Upper  Cow  Creek  and  near 
the  Syndicate  on  Savery  Creek,  where  the  dykes  cut  across  the 
formation  at  a  varying  angle.  These  dykes  are  also  noted  at 
many  places  in  the  granite  near  the  New  Rambler  on  Douglas 
Creek  and  near  Encampment  and  Battle. 

Associated  with  the  schists  and  diorites  are  ledges  or  bands 
of  quartzite,  which  lie  conformably  with  the  including  schists, 
as  far  as  now  known,  as  at  the  Ferris-Haggarty  mine  and  at 
Bridger  Peak,  and  are  usually  of  considerable  extent. 

In  many  instances  the  foregoing  rocks  (schists,  dyke  rocks 
and  quartzites)  often  show  an  extensive  and  sometimes  a  com- 
plete metamorphism  and  change  from  their  original  condition 
and  composition,  leaving  only  the  structure  as  a  means  of  iden- 
tification, the  composing  minerals  being  replaced  by  silica  and 
lime,  as  the  schists  near  the  Ferris-Haggarty  are  largely  re- 
placed by  silica,  and  by  lime  near  the  Leighton-Gentry  prop- 
erty, on  Jack  Creek,  and  the  Mohawk,  on  the  North  Fork  of  the 
Grand  Encampment  River. 

The  dyke  rocks  usually  show  a  weathered  and  softened  con- 
dition in  the  vicinity  of  this  schist  alteration,  but  this  is  often 
local  and  does  not  affect  the  main  body  of  the  rock. 

The  Snowy  Range  in  the  Medicine  Bow  Mountains  is  dis- 
tinct in  formation  from  the  adjacent  country,  and  consists  of 
trachite  and  quartzites,  with  an  occasional  dyke  of  porphyry. 

On  either  side  of  the  Medicine  Bow  range  the  Carbonifer- 
ous limestones  are  noted,  with  the  succeeding  sedimentary  for- 
mation dipping  away  from  the  main  range,  until  covered  by  the 
wash  of  the  valley. 

South  and  west  of  the  Sierra  Madre  Mountains  the  sedi- 
mentary sandstones  of  the  Cretaceous  are  noted,  and  here  is 
found  the  coal  used  in  the  district,  noted  later. 

Mineralization. — The  mineralization  may  be  said  to  be  gen- 
eral throughout  the  formation  just  described,  but  varies  in 
quantity  and  composition  in  each  locality.  In  the  granites, 
schists,  dyke  rocks  and  quartzites  are  found  bunches,  streaks 
and  veins  of  the  different  forms  of  iron  and  copper,  both  ox- 
idized and  base,  varying  from  a  tiny  crystal  or  speck  to  a  huge 
mass  a  number  of  tons  in  weight  enclosed  in  the  adjacent  rocks, 
which  may  or  may  not  be  part  of  or  related  to  the  body  of  ore. 

Ore  Deposits  and  Ores. — In  a  district  as  little  developed  as 
the  Grand  Encampment  country  it  is  evident  that  the  precise 
ore  conditions  may  not  be  fully  understood  until  greater  depths 
have  been  reached  and  some  of  each  class  of  ores  and  ore  de- 


62  THE  STATE;  OF  WYOMING. 

posits  fully  exploited.  At  present  these  are  understood  to  con- 
sist of  two  classes,  viz.,  ores  found  in  the  hard,  unchanged  for- 
mation, the  diorites  and  unaltered  schists,  associated  with  a 
vein  quartz,  as  at  the  Blakeslee  and  Verde  property,  south  of 
Battle,  as  distinguished  from  the  ores  found  as  a  contact  de- 
posit between  two  different  formations,  as  the  Ferris-Haggarty, 
Doane-Rambler  mines,  and  a  fissure  deposit,  as  the  New  Ram- 
bler, on  Douglas  Creek,  in  a  gray  granite.  The  former  may  be 
termed  original  ores  and  the  latter  secondary  ores,  or  ores  of 
replacement. 

In  the  first  case  sulphide  of  copper  is  found  in  the  out- 
crops, and  with  but  little  change  beyond  the  surface  oxidizing 
of  the  specimen  and  staining  the  adjacent  rock  with  iron  oxides 
and  copper  carbonates,  often  leaving  the  unchanged  sulphides 
only  covered  by  a  thin  film  of  oxides. 

In  the  latter  case  the  sulphides  are  encountered  at  "water 
level,"  viz.,  the  level  of  permanent  underground  water,  varying 
in  depth  in  different  localities  and  covered  by  a  capping  of 
iron  oxides,  known  as  the  iron  cap  and  the  "gossan"  of  the 
Cornish  miner.  This  cap  is  usually  a  light,  soft  and  porous 
brown  oxide  of  iron,  or  limonite,  sometimes  silicious  and  asso- 
ciated with  the  limonite  are  noted  forms  of  hematite  or  red 
oxide  in  varying  quantity. 

In  many  instances  the  iron  cap  contains  thin  scales  of 
native  copper  and  shows  stains  of  the  green  carbonate  of  cop- 
per or  Malachite  and  some  blue  carbonate  of  copper  or  Azurite. 
Small  amounts  of  Chrysacolla  or  silicate  of  copper  are  often 
found,  as  well  as  some  of  the  rarer  forms  of  the  oxidized  copper 
minerals,  noted  later. 

The  principal  ores  are  the  yellow  pyrites  of  copper  or  chal- 
copyrite  and  "peacock  copper"  or  Bornite,  as  at  the  Ferris- 
Haggarty,  and  the  Covelite  ores  of  the  New  Rambler.  Some 
phenomenally  rich  copper  glance  or  chalcocite  has  been  struck, 
mostly  near  the  surface,  as  in  the  Keener-Price  at  Battle, 
the  Doane-Rambler  and  the  New  Rambler  and  many  other 
places,  but  in  each  case  the  deposit  has  been  limited. 

The  works  so  far  have  shown  that  the  ores  immediately 
succeeding  the  oxidized  ores  underlying  the  iron  cap  are  very 
rich,  often  running  from  35  to  49  per  cent,  copper  in  car  load 
lots,  as  shipping  returns  have  shown,  but  this  is  evidently  a 
secondary  enrichment,  due  to  the  leaching  of  the  iron  cap  above, 
and  gradually  gives  place  to  the  lower  and  more  permanent 
grade  of  ore  that  is  reached  as  depth  is  gained. 

It  is  evident  that  the  permanent  ores  of  this  district,  when 
opened  up  by  deep  workings,  will  prove  to  be  a  low  grade  Chal- 
copyrite  ore,  suitable  for  treatment  by  a  concentrating,  roasting1 
and  smelting  process. 


MINERAL  RESOURCES.  63 

Gold  and  silver  values  throughout  the  district  have  uni- 
formly been  low,  although  some  phenomenally  rich  gold  values 
have  been  noted  in  the  oxidized  ores  at  Purgatory  Gulch,  the 
Charter  Oak  and  some  others,  but  with  more  attention  being 
paid  to  this  by-product,  a  higher  grade  may  be  anticipated  in 
the  future. 

Grand  Encampment. — This  town  is  the  practical  center  of 
the  mining  activity  of  this  region,  is  pleasantly  located,  sub- 
stantially built  and  has  about  1,000  population  at  the  present 
time.  Here  are  located  the  principal  supply  houses,  bank  and 
headquarters  of  the  principal  companies  operating  in  this  dis- 
trict, and  is  the  eastern  terminus  of  the  aerial  gravity  tramway 
from  the  Ferris-Haggarty  mine  to  the  Encampment  reduction 
works,  the  location  of  the  Encampment  Power  and  Light  Com- 
pany's works  and  the  other  enterprises  owned  by  the  North 
American  Copper  Company. 

Aerial  Tramway. — The  tramway  is  sixteen  miles  in  length, 
divided  into  four  sections  with  three  auxiliary  power  stations, 
one  at  Upper  Cow  Creek  at  the  foot  of  Bridger  Peak,  one  at 
Lower  Cow  Creek  and  one  four  miles  west  of  Encampment. 
These  stations  are  equipped  with  power  plants,  storage  bins, 
etc.,  to  facilitate  the  operations  of  the  line.  Three  hundred  and 
four  towers,  with  tension  stations  at  intervals,  are  used  to  sup- 
port the  cables,  which,  moving  at  an  average  speed  of  four 
miles  an  hour,  with  buckets  holding  700  pounds  of  ore  each,  are 
capable  of  delivering  984  tons  of  ore  per  day.  The  towers  were 
placed  at  an  average  distance  of  200  feet  apart  on  regular 
ground,  but  owing  to  the  rough  and  varied  nature  of  some  of 
the  intervening  ground,  it  has  been  necessary  to  use  some  long 
spans,  as  at  Cow  Creek  crossings,  where  the  spans  are  2,000  and 
2,200  feet  long,  and  on  adjacent  summits  it  was  necessary  to 
place  a  number  of  towers  close  together  for  obvious  reasons. 
The  terminal  stations  at  the  mine  and  smelter  are  equipped  with 
automatic  landing,  filling  and  dumping  arrangements,  and  suf- 
ficient storage  capacity  is  provided  to  insure  a  supply  of  ore 
in  case  of  a  break-down  in  the  mine  or  on  the  line. 

The  Encampment  Reduction  Works. — These  works  are  lo- 
cated at  the  tramway  terminal,  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Grand 
Encampment  River,  and  are  favorably  situated  as  regards  con- 
venience in  operating,  handling  ores,  tailings  and  slag 
dumps,  etc. 

The  ore  from  the  receiving  bins  is  delivered  to  the  crushers 
and  rolls,  passes  over  rotary  sizing  screens,  the  coarse  material 
passing  over  being  elevated  back  to  fine  rolls,  the  finer  passing 


64  THE;  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

through  the  screens,  going  on  through  the  mill,  and  being  sized 
and  classified  by  sizers  and  jigs.  The  sized  product  passes  over 
Wilfley  concentrating  tables  for  final  treatment,  and  the  con- 
centrates are  sent  to  the  briqueting  plant,  the  tailings  or  waste 
being  run  into  a  tailing  dam  and  settled.  A  mechanical  straight 
line  roaster  has  been  installed  to  roast  the  high  grade  sulphides, 
with  a  capacity  of  forty  tons  per  day. 

The  smelter  consists  of  two  matte  furnaces  smelting  to  a  50 
per  cent,  copper  matte,  which  passes  to  the  converter  and  is 
blown  to  blister  copper.  The  entire  plant  is  constructed  on  a 
5OO-ton  capacity  basis,  and  all  power  used  in  the  smelter,  for 
cranes,  etc.,  is  electric,  except  the  blowers  and  air  compressor, 
which  are  driven  direct  from  water  power.  Twelve  hundred 
horse  power  can  be  developed  in  this  plant.  This  water  power 
is  furnished  from  a  built  wooden  pipe,  forty-eight  inches  in 
diameter,  which  extends  from  the  smelter  to  a  point  four  miles 
away  on  the  South  Fork  of  the  Grand  Encampment  River, 
where  a  twenty-nine-foot  dam  has  been  erected.  The  water 
drives  five  water  wheels,  some  of  which  connect  direct  with  the 
concentrating  mill  by  shafting  and  a  rope  drive  to  the  crushers, 
tables  and  other  machinery.  Others  are  connected  direct  to  the 
electric  plant,  which  is  very  complete,  and  supplies  power  as 
stated  above,  lights  the  works  and  towns  of  Grand  Encamp- 
ment and  Riverside. 

The  Kurtz-Chatterton  mine,  west  of  Encampment,  is  the 
oldest  in  the  district  and  has  a  tunnel  1,700  feet  long,  with 
numerous  drifts,  shafts,  etc.  The  ore  is  a  low  grade  copper 
sulphide  in  granite,  suitable  for  concentration  on  an  extensive 
scale. 

In  this  vicinity  are  the  Great  Lakes,  Norvell-Pickerell, 
Moon-Anchor,  Chicago- Venture,  Black  Tiger,  Winona-Rex, 
Sweet  and  others,  which  have  been  working  steadily. 

Battle. — Towards  Battle  the  Co-operative  Company  has 
been  sinking  on  a  vein  of  red  iron  oxides  in  schists  and  quartz- 
ite.  This  same  condition  is  noted  on  the  Hidden  Treasure  and 
Gertrude  properties,  and  at  intervals  shows  copper  stains,  both 
in  the  capping  and  quartz. 

A  number  of  other  well  known  properties  near  Battle  are 
the  Hercules,  Portland,  Continental,  Copper-Blossom,  Big- 
Chief,  Blackfoot,  Lena  Shields,  Quo  Vadis,  Iron  King  and 
Buelah  properties,  and  these  have  steam  plants. 

South  of  Battle  the  Verde  property  is  the  most  prominent, 
having  put  in  a  steam  plant  and  now  sinking  on  the  ore,  which 
outcrops  in  a  heavy  ledge  in  which  sulphide  ores  of  copper  are 
found  on  the  surface. 


THE  NOTED  FERRIS-HAGGARTY  AND  O  SCEOLA  MINES,  CARBON   COUNTY. 


MINERAL  RESOURCES.  65 

The  Lone  Fisherman  Group  on  the  North  Fork  of  the 
Snake  River  and  the  Itmay  are  active  properties. 

The  Doane-Rambler  has  been  shipping  for  several  years, 
the  past  two  from  development  work  only,  and  some  very  rich 
ore  has  been  taken  out.  The  conditions  under  which  these  ores 
are  noted  are  similar  to  the  Ferris-Haggarty  ores,  the  outcrop 
being  a  light  porous  limonite,  usually  stained  with  copper  car- 
bonates and  occurring  between  schist  and  quartzite.  Recently 
some  high  grade  black  oxide  of  copper  has  been  found  in  a 
quartz  vein  in  the  schist. 

The  principal  ores  of  the  Doane-Rambler  are  chalcopyrite 
and  some  bornite,  but  a  number  of  forms  of  the  sulphides 
have  been  noted,  especially  some  very  high  grade  copper 
glance  or  chalcocite,  very  hard  and  black,  being  more  like  a 
copper  matte  than  ore  in  appearance.  Some  of  this  glance 
showed  streaks  and  specks  of  unaltered  chalcopyrite  through  it. 
A  quantity  of  covelite  was  also  noted,  as  well  as  red  and  black 
oxides  of  copper  and  a  great  quantity  of  the  carbonates  of  cop- 
per in  the  upper  workings. 

Some  of  the  richest  copper  ore  in  the  district  has  been 
shipped  from  this  mine,  and  the  cars  shipped  averaged  from 
40.7  per  cent,  to  51  per  cent,  copper,  nearly  400,000  pounds 
of  copper  being  shipped  from  this  mine.  New  surface  works, 
power  plant  and  other  works  have  been  put  in,  and  the  Doane- 
Rambler  is  now  in  shape  to  go  ahead  on  a  sound  basis. 

Near  the  Doane-Rambler  several  promising  prospects  are 
located.  The  Minnie-Mabel  and  Doane-Verde  are  among 
these,  and  below  the  Rambler  several  interesting  outcrops  of 
oxidized  iron  are  noted,  some  showing  copper  stains,  but 
beyond  a  few  small  prospect  holes,  little  has  been  done. 

The  Ferris-Haggarty  mine,  which  is  owned  by  the  North 
American  Copper  Company,  was  located  in  1898,  has  pro- 
duced $750,000  in  copper  and  has  280,000  tons  of  6  per  cent, 
to  8  per  cent,  copper  ore,  worth  $4,740,000,  blocked  out  in  the 
mine  in  a  vein  twenty  feet  wide.  This  ore  is  found  on  the 
contact  between  quartzite  and  mica-schist,  and  the  character 
of  the  ore  is  chalcopyrite  or  yellow  copper  pyrites  and  bor- 
nite or  peacock  copper.  This  mine  furnishes  the  ore  to  the 
Encampment  smelter  and  is  the  western  terminal  of  the 
aerial  tramway  to  Encampment,  and  complete  surface  works, 
power  plant  and  other  buildings  have  been  built.  Here  the 
coal  from  the  mines  at  Carbondale,  twelve  miles  south,  is 
brought  and  sent  to  Encampment  and  vicinity  over  the  tram- 
way. This  coal  is  a  lignite,  but  a  good  steam  and  domestic 
coal.  In  this  vicinity  a  number  of  promising  prospects  are 
located.  The  Bachelder  prospect  has  opened  up  some  high 


66  THE;  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

grade  ore,  and  preparations  are  being  made  to  develop  the 
Osceola,  Copper  Belt  and  Mutual  Company's  holdings. 

Many  good  showings  are  made  from  the  "Sandstone" 
country  west  of  Dillon,  and  it  should  receive  the  attention  of 
prospectors,  as  there  is  every  probability  of  opening  up  some 
profitable  works  there. 

On  Spring  Creek  the  Copper  Bar  Company  have  erected 
a  steam  plant,  and  the  Chippewa  Mining  Company  have  been 
doing  work  on  a  schist  lead  showing  the  usual  oxidized  sur- 
face condition,  but  with  chalcopyrite  carrying  galena  or  lead 
sulphide  at  a  very  shallow  depth  and  in  considerable  quantity. 
The  Badger  State  Company  has  been  sinking  on  a  strong 
vein  of  quartz  carrying  copper  and  lead  sulphides  in  mica 
schist. 

The  Syndicate  property  on  Savery  Creek  is  working  on 
a  contact  between  an  altered  schist  and  diorite  dykes.  Con- 
siderable copper  ore  of  good  grade  has  been  taken  out. 

In  Purgatory  Gulch,  situated  six  miles  south  of  Encamp- 
ment, in  1897,  some  remarkably  rich  gold  specimens  were 
found,  and  formed  the  basis  of  the  excitement  which  has  de- 
veloped into  the  Grand  Encampment  copper  district. 

The  Fremont  Copper  Company  is  operating  on  Dunkard 
Creek  and  has  installed  a  plant  of  machinery  for  sinking  an 
inclined  shaft  on  a  promising  showing. 

The  King-of-the-Camp,  on  the  South  Fork  of  the  Grand 
Encampment  River,  is  running  a  cross-cut  tunnel  to  cut  a 
quartz  lead  in  schist  that  carries  promising  values  in  gold, 
and  is  one  of  the  few  properties  in  this  locality  being  worked 
for  gold  alone. 

Beaver  Creek  is  situated  some  twelve  miles  south  of  En- 
campment, and  contains  some  promising  prospects. 

The  Aetna,  the  Evening  Star,  Bay-Horse,  Ruby,  News- 
boy and  Kearns-Consolidated  are  prominent  properties,  have 
steam  plants  erected  and  have  done  considerable  work. 

In  the  Gibraltar  prospect,  near  Big  Creek,  eighteen  miles 
from  Encampment,  a  vein  of  iron  oxides,  stained  with  copper 
carbonates,  was  opened  up  and  considerable  good  ore  taken  out. 

The  Cox  mine,  on  Big  Creek,  has  produced  some  remark- 
able high  grade  copper  ore,  and  several  shipments  have  been 
made  from  it.  The  ore  is  found  in  a  huge  quartzose  ledge 
lying  conformably  with  a  wide  band  of  schist  in  the  granite 
foothills  that  are  shown  in  the  Platte  Valley,  distinct  from  a 
general  uplift  of  the  mountains.  The  usual  iron  capping  was 
found,  and  the  rich  copper  glance  ore,  noted  above,  found, 
with  copper  carbonates  near  the  surface.  With  depth,  these 
gave  place  to  bornite  ore,  filling  the  spaces  in  the  crushed 


MINERAL  RESOURCES.  67 

and  broken  quartz,  often  filling  places  formerly  occupied  by 
quartz  and  feldspar  crystals,  evidenced  by  the  shape  of  the 
copper  sulphide  masses. 

The  Charter  Oak  is  one  of  the  oldest  properties  in  the 
district,  and  is  located  seven  miles  north  of  Encampment,  in 
the  northern  edge  of  the  foothills.  Ores  consist  of  sulphides 
in  lower  and  oxidized  in  upper  levels.  A  shaft  488  feet  deep 
has  been  sunk  and  about  300  feet  of  drifts  run,  with  a  good 
showing  of  ore. 

Elk  Mountain  District. 

This  is  the  most  northerly  of  the  ranges  comprising  the 
Medicine  Bow  range  in  Wyoming,  and  is  a  later  uplift  than  the 
Sierra  Madre,  on  the  west  side  of  the  Platte.  Here  the  sedi- 
mentary limestones  of  the  Carboniferous  period  lie  on  the 
schists  and  granites  of  the  earlier  formations,  and  at  the  Elk 
Mountain  M.  &  M.  Company's  property,  on  the  north  side 
of  Pass  Creek,  the  ore  is  found  near  the  contact  of  these  for- 
mations. This  ore,  in  the  upper  workings,  is  copper  glance, 
occurring  in  the  bunches  common  to  this  ore,  and  in  the  lower 
workings  is  giving  place  to  the  chalcopyrite,  which  is  becom- 
ing more  common  as  depth  is  reached.  At  the  outcrops  the 
usual  iron  oxides  were  found  staining  the  limestone,  with 
some  glance  and  a  great  deal  of  green  copper  carbonates  as  a 
stain. 

The  Cumberland  Group  on  the  south  end  of  Coad  Moun- 
tain shows  a  huge  ledge  of  quartzose  material,  some  twenty 
feet  wide,  lying  conformably  with  the  dip  and  trend  of  the 
schist  and  snowing  a  good  trace  of  ore.  A  tunnel  run  to  cross- 
cut the  ore  has  not  yet  reached  it,  but  it  is  believed  will  show 
a  large  body  of  concentrating  copper  ore  at  the  depth  of  the 
tunnel,  about  1,000  feet  on  the  dip  of  the  vein. 

The  Campderdown  Group,  north  of  the  Cumberland,  has  a 
remarkable  showing  of  copper  ore,  similar  to  the  Cumberland, 
both  of  which  are  regarded  as  good  development  propositions. 

The  Great  Rambler  mine  is  owned  by  the  Rambler  Min- 
ing and  Smelting  Company,  is  located  on  the  crest  of  the 
Medicine  Bow  range,  in  Albany  County,  and  was  first  opened 
up  as  a  gold  prospect.  In  1900  the  first  copper  was  struck  at 
a  depth  of  sixty-five  feet,  and  the  mine  began  immediately  to 
ship  high  grade  copper  ore.  The  formation  containing  the 
copper  is  a  dioritic  granite,  with  some  micaceous  schist  in  the 
vicinity,  but  the  ore  is  found  in  a  series  of  fissures  in  the 
granite.  In  common  with  the  other  prominent  properties  in 
Southern  Wyoming,  the  surface  and  outcrops  of  the  property 


68  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

show  the  usual  oxidized  forms  of  iron,  with  an  occasional  cop- 
per stain.  The  "iron  hat,"  as  this  capping  is  called,  extends 
to  a  varying  depth  and  gives  place  to  the  various  forms  of 
copper  minerals  met  with  in  this  mine.  The  Rambler  is  a 
veritable  museum  of  copper  minerals,  and  nearly  all  the  known 
forms  have  been  found  here  either  in  quantity  or  as  specimens. 
Native  copper  is  noted  in  sheets  often  of  a  dendritic  form  and 
as  small  nuggets.  Copper  carbonates,  green  and  blue,  are 
abundant,  as  well  as  the  silicates  of  copper.  The  red  oxide  of 
copper,  Cuprite,  and  the  black  oxides,  Tenorite  and  Mala- 
conite,  are  noted  in  quantity.  Covellite,  or  "indigo  copper," 
is  the  ore  that  made  this  mine  famous,  as  this  variety  has  al- 
ways been  a  rare  form,  and  seldom,  if  ever,  found  in  the  quan- 
tity in  which  it  occurs  in  this  mine ;  the  only  small  specimens 
of  this  variety  are  usually  found  in  the  different  museums  of 
minerals.  Quantities  of  a  very  fine  grained  copper  glance  are 
found,  carrying  minute  specks  of  unaltered  chalcopyrite,  sim- 
ilar to  those  noted  in  the  Doane-Rambler  mine  on  Battle 
Creek,  in  the  Sierra  Madre  range.  Many  of  the  other  forms 
of  copper  are  noted  in  small  quantities.  Platinum  has  been 
found  in  the  Rambler  ores,  occurring  in  the  Covellite  and 
showing  1.4  oz.  of  platinum  per  ton  of  ore.  Palladium  has 
also  been  noted  in  these  ores  in  the  Covellite  ores  with  the 
platinum.  The  mine  has  been  developed  by  shafts  and  drifts, 
and  has  some  2,800  feet  of  developed  workings.  The  grade  of 
ore  at  this  property  has  been  high,  and  a  number  of  cars  of 
very  high  grade  ore  have  been  shipped,  especially  that  con- 
taining the  glance  and  Covellite.  These  shipments  show  1,928 
dry  tons  of  ore  shipped,  averaging  19  per  cent,  copper  and 
representing  a  gross  value  of  $77,622.  The  general  grade  of 
the  oxidized  ores  is  low,  and  to  treat  these  ores  a  matte  smelter 
of  forty  tons  per  day  capacity  has  been  installed.  The  matte 
made  and  shipped  is  given  as  follows  :  Six  hundred  and  thirteen 
thousand  pounds  matte,  249,196  pounds  copper,  $36,135.41  val- 
ues. The  grade  of  matte  shipped  varied  from  30  to  60  per  cent, 
copper  and  the  total  amount  of  copper  produced  to  date  is  828,- 
970  pounds. 

Other  companies  working  in  this  vicinity  are  the  Jupiter, 
Cuprite,  Blanche,  Duchess,  American  and  a  number  of  others 
are  prospecting  and  doing  surface  work. 

On  Iron  Creek  a  huge  ledge  of  iron  oxides  is  noted  out- 
cropping in  general  as  a  hard,  silicious  hematite,  but  often  as- 
sociated with  deposits  of  brown  limonite  and  frequently  car- 
rying a  small  copper  value.  The  shaft  sunk  by  the  Ak-Sar-Ben 
Company  on  this  material  to  a  depth  of  eighty  feet  is  the  deep- 
est working  and  shows  a  soft  condition  beneath  the  capping. 


MINERAL  RKSOURCKS.  69 

None  of  the  workings  have  yet  been  penetrated  through  this 
oxidized  material,  but  it  is  believed  this  material  is  underlaid 
by  iron  sulphides  carrying  copper,  and  this  in  turn  by  copper 
sulphide  ores. 

Silver  Crown,  in  the  Laramie  Hills,  west  of  Cheyenne,  has 
several  promising  properties,  the  Globe  mine  and  the  Hecla 
being  the  most  prominent  and  equipped  with  steam  plants. 
The  Hecla  Company  is  working  steadily  and  producing  some 
fine  ore,  and  arrangements  being  made  to  start  their  reduction 
works. 

At  many  places  in  these  hills  are  working  properties.  At 
Granite  Canon,  at  the  Strong,  Michigan,  Iconclast,  Cooney 
Hill  and  Slate  Creek  work  is  going  on  with  good  results. 

North  of  Laramie  Peak  a  new  mining  camp  is  being 
started,  and  several  new  plants  are  working  at  the  corner  of 
Laramie,  Albany  and  Converse  Counties. 

The  Esterbrook  is  the  oldest  of  these  and  is  sinking  a 
shaft  in  a  vein  of  silicious  lead  carbonate  ore  that  is  giving 
place  to  copper  sulphides  as  the  workings  go  deeper.  Near  by 
are  the  Tenderfoot,  Three  Cripples,  Trail  Creek  and  Pyramid 
mines,  each  active  and  with  every  prospect  of  success.  The 
formation  here  is  schists  and  granite,  and  in  each  locality  some 
new  phase  is  presented. 

West  of  the  Laramie  Peak  region  is  the  old  Warbonnet 
district,  where  the  Oriole  mine  is  developing  a  fine  showing  of 
copper  ore. 

East  of  these  works  in  Whalen  Canon,  in  Laramie  County, 
the  Sunrise  Copper  Mining  Company  is  opening  up  some  very 
rich  copper  ores,  and  the  camps  are  all  prosperous. 

Sunlight  Mining  District. 

Sunlight  Basin,  in  Big  Horn  County,  is  attracting  the  at- 
tention of  miners  and  prospectors,  and  considerable  work  is 
being  done  around  Stinking  Water  Peak,  one  of  the  prominent 
peaks  of  the  Absaroka  range.  This  region  is  located  about 
sixty-five  miles  west  and  north  of  Cody,  on  the  B.  &  M.  R.  R., 
in  the  Yellowstone  Park  Timber  Reserve,  and  about  ten  or  fif- 
teen miles  east  of  the  east  line  of  the  National  Park. 

The  formations  here  are  mostly  andesites,  rhyolites  and 
porphyry.  Diorite  is  also  noted  in  some  localities ;  basalt  and 
conglomerates,  both  in  massive  sheets  and  dykes,  are  found,  but 
the  minerals  have  usually  been  found  in  the  andesites  and  allied 
rocks. 

Almost  all  the  prospecting  up  to  the  present  time  has  been 
in  the  vicinity  of  Stinking  Water  Peak,  in  an  area  of  about  six 


7Q  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

or  seven  miles  square,  covering  the  heads  of  Sulphur,  Copper 
and  Galena  Creeks  and  the  North  Fork  of  the  Shoshone  River. 

The  works  of  the  Sunlight  Mining  Company  in  Silver  Tip 
Basin  are  the  principal  works  of  the  region,  and  consist  of  three 
tunnels,  100  feet,  250  feet  and  900  feet  long,  respectively,  the 
latter  being  the  main  working  tunnel,  being  run  to  cut  an  ore 
body  that  shows  a  surface  width  of  about  thirty  feet  of  good 
grade  ore.  The  ore  from  these  works  is  a  quartzose  vein  mat- 
ter, carrying  copper  and  iron  sulphides,  mostly  chalcopyrite  or 
yellow  pyrites  of  copper,  with  a  fair  value  in  gold  and  silver. 
Some  galena  or  lead  sulphide  is  also  found,  which  is  often  rich 
in  silver.  Shipments  have  been  made  from  this  property  and 
showed  a  profitable  return  even  in  the  face  of  a  wagon  haul  of 
one  hundred  miles  to  the  nearest  railroad  point  at  Red  Lodge, 
Montana,  after  being  packed  for  four  miles  down  to  the  road 
from  the  mines.  This  region  is  favorably  adapted  for  tunnel 
methods  of  mining,  and  thus  prospecting  may  be  carried  on  at 
all  times  and  seasons,  the  winters  being  no  more  severe  than 
;n  many  of  the  mining  regions  of  Colorado. 

At  Kirwin,  on  the  head  of  Wood  River,  a  number  of  prom- 
ising copper  products  are  being  quietly  developed,  and  under 
conditions  somewhat  similar  to  the  Sunlight  mines.  This  for- 
mation extends  along  the  eastern  line  of  the  National  Park  to 
the  Wind  River  Mountains,  west  of  Lander,  in  Fremont 
County,  and  in  this  almost  unknown  land  a  great  many  promis- 
ing prospects  are  situated,  from  which  many  samples  of  very 
fine  grade  copper  ores  are  sent  out. 

In  the  Owl  Mountains,  south  of  Thermopolis,  in  Copper 
Mountain,  a  very  promising  product  is  being  opened  up,  and  in 
the  same  vicinity  a  number  of  others  are  showing  good  returns 
for  the  work  done.  > 

The  list  of  promising  prospects  might  be  indefinitely  con- 
tinued in  every  mountain  range  in  the  State,  did  space  permit, 
but  only  the  most  prominent  and  best  known  localities  are  men- 
tioned, and  to  name  all  would  require  a  separate  publication. 

Production. 

The  present  laws  of  Wyoming  do  not  provide  that  all  metal 
productions  shall  be  reported  to  the  State,  and  it  is,  therefore, 
impossible  to  give  accurate  figures  regarding  the  gold,  silver 
and  iron  productions  at  the  present  time.  The  gold  and  silver 
of  Wyoming  has  been  going  to  the  Denver  mint  and  is  credited 
up  in  the  totals  to  Colorado.  This  will  be  corrected  by  our  next 
Legislature. 


OIL 


THE  LIGHT  OF  AGES. 


The  Boston  Journal  for  Investors  says : 

"When  it  comes  to  oil,  Wyoming  certainly  bids  fair  to 
illuminate  and  lubricate  the  works  of  man  for  generations.  The 
eighteen  oil  fields  known  in  that  State  present  a  greater  variety 
of  product  than  any  similar  known  area,  as  it  varies  from  the 
highest  grade  of  lubricating  oils  without  a  trace  of  illuminating 
constituents  to  an  equally  high  grade  of  illuminating  oil  totally 
free  from  lubricants  and  with  a  range  of  intermediate  oils  and 
products  that  is  a  revelation  to  oil  men." 

In  each  of  the  eighteen  oil  fields  oil  is  flowing  from  springs, 
or  there  are  thick  bands  of  oil  sand  exposed.  The  greater  num- 
ber of  these  fields  are  situated  in  the  central  part  of  the  State, 
but  there  are  fields  in  the  northeastern  part,  in  the  southwest- 
ern portion,  and  in  the  northern  central  region.  The  oils  that 
have  been  analyzed  vary  in  nature  from  high  grade  lubricating 
to  oils  that  will  produce  from  40  to  50  per  cent,  of  kerosene. 

With  proper  facilities  for  transportation,  the  oil  industry 
in  Wyoming  will  equal,  if  not  surpass,  that  of  any  State. 

The  greatest  development  is  found  in  Natrona  County, 
where  a  lubricating  oil  is  found  which  has  been  pronounced 
by  experts  to  be  the  best  in  the  world  ;  and  in  Fremont  County, 
where  there  are  thirteen  flowing  wells,  now  capped  for  the  want 
of  a  railroad.  At  Casper  there  is  a  refinery  having  a  capacity 
of  200  barrels  of  crude  oil  per  day.  The  product  is  hauled 
from  the  wells  in  wagons  that  have  a  carrying  capacity  of  18,- 
ooo  pounds,  each  train  of  wagons  requiring  twelve  to  sixteen 
mules.  This  greatly  adds  to  the  expense  of  production.  At 
present  the  following  oils  are  manufactured  at  Casper:  Rail- 
road engine,  railroad  car,  railroad  valve  and  railroad  signal. 
These  oils  are  the  most  perfect  lubricants,  of  high  endurance, 
highest  fire  tests,  and  greatest  body  and  wearing  power.  Be- 
sides railroad  oils,  the  refinery  manufactures  other  special  high 
grade  oils,  viz. :  Stationary  engine,  valve,  spindle  oils,  dynamo 
oils,  watch  oils,  neutral  oils  for  blending  animal  and  vegetable 
oils,  paint  oil,  visco  axle  grease,  and  heavy  machine  oil  for 
mowing  machines.  The  product  of  eight  producing  wells 
varies  in  value  from  twenty  cents  to  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents 
per  gallon. 


72  THE;  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

The  Bonanza  field,  in  Big  Horn  County,  is  attracting  a 
great  deal  of  attention,  five  wells  recently  drilled  struck  oil 
at  280  feet. 

Geology. — Lack  of  space  will  not  permit  a  thorough  de- 
scription of  the  geological  formation  of  the  several  fields.  Full 
information  on  this  subject  may  be  obtained  by  addressing  a 
request  to  Miss  Grace  Raymond  Hebard,  Secretary  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees  of  the  University  of  Wyoming,  at  Laramie, 
Wyoming,  for  Oil  Bulletins.  The  University  issues  bulletins 
on  the  Mining  Resources  of  Wyoming,  prepared  by  the  Profes- 
sor of  Geology  from  personal  field  investigation. 

The  Popo  Agie  Oil  Field. — This  field  is  situated  ten  miles 
southeast  of  Lander,  Fremont  County,  with  an  elevation  of 
5,350  feet;  it  covers  several  townships  and  extends  north  to 
Lander.  The  history  of  this  field  is  far  more  interesting  than 
any  other  oil  field.  The  same  was  discovered  by  Bonneville 
in  1833,  and  is  the  place  where  the  first  producing  oil  well  was 
drilled.  From  the  date  of  Bonneville's  visit  up  to  1867  the  oil 
spring  was  unknown,  except  to  the  hunter  or  trapper,  who 
frequented  the  locality  to  secure  the  oil  for  medicinal,  lubricat- 
ing, illuminating  and  other  purposes.  There  are  now  thirteen 
flowing  wells,  with  a  capacity  each  of  200  barrels  per  twenty- 
four  hours ;  owned  by  the  Belgo-American  Drilling  Trust,  as 
are  also  the  lubricating  oil  wells  situated  on  Salt  Creek,  with 
the  refinery  at  Casper.  The  oil  appears  black,  is  reddish  brown 
by  transmitted  light  and  has  a  strong,  disagreeable  odor. 

Flashing  point 90°   F. 

Burning  point 136°  F. 

Specific  gravity 900 

Heating  power.  .  .  11,437  calories  per  gramme 

In  refining  the  products  are  gasoline  and  kerosene,  about 
35-45  per  cent.,  and  the  balance  lubricating  oils  and  asphaltum. 
The  oil  is  of  heavy  asphaltum  base  and  suitable  for  high  grade 
fuel,  tests  giving  14,571,000  foot  pounds  of  energy  per  pound 
of  oil.  One  pound  of  this  oil  will  convert  19.40  pounds  of 
water  at  212  F.  degrees  into  steam. 

Analysis  shows  the  following  products : 

Naphtha  (gasoline) 2-5  per  cent. 

Kerosene,  .8io-.83O 30-40  per  cent. 

Lubricating  oil,  .9IO-.940 35~5O  per  cent. 

Paraffin 3-5  per  cent. 

Coke .   7-10  per  cent. 

Gas 10-12  per  cent. 


OIL. 


73 


Lander  and  Shoshone  Oil  Fields. — The  Lander  field  joins 
the  Popo  Agie  on  the  north,  and  the  Shoshone  joins  the  Lander 
on  the  north,  extending  into  the  Wind  River  Indian  Reser- 
vation. 

Distillation  oj  Lander  Petroleum. 

500  cubic  centimeters  of  oil  taken.     Each  fraction  is  5  per  cent. 


NV  of  fraction 

Boiling 
Point. 
Centigrade 

Specific 
Gravity 

Degree 

|j.  tunic 

F'lashing 
Point 

Burning 
Point 

Cold  Test 

°C. 

°F. 

124 
148 
180 
202 
225 
243 
248 
256 
279 
201 
306 
297 
304 
279 
288 
226 
135 
135 

°c. 

°F. 

«C. 

«F 

16 
28 
34 
41 
32 
48 

1 

l.V.  •-'!.-> 
215-2.5 
235-250 
252-265 
265-280 
280-285 
285-290 
290-295 
295-310 
310-325, 
325-340 
340-345 
345-355 
355-365 
J65-375 
375 
380 
385 

.8100 
.S218 
.8313 
.8400 
M.V: 
.8500 
.8510 
.8565 
.8640 
.8680 
.8740 
.8725 
.  *74f> 
.8820 
.8835 
.8705 
.8505 
.8800 

42.8 
40.4 
38.4 
36.7 
35.6 
34.6 
34.4 
Si.  4 
31.0 
31.3 
30  2 
30.5 
30.1 
28.7 
28.5 
30.8 
84.6 
29.1 

51 
M 

1*2 
M 
107 
117 
120 
124 
137 
147 

tea 

147 
151 
137 
142 
109 
57 
57 

62 
77 
93 
109 
122 
135 
137 
142 
157 
169 
178 
167 
167 
184 
177 
132 
84 
84 

144 
171 

200 
229 
252 
275 
279 
288 
315 
337 
353 
333 
333 
364 
351 
270 
184 
184 

—9 
2 

1 
5 
0 
9 

2  

3  

4  

5  

6  

1  

8         .   .           .... 

9  

10  

11                             ... 

12 

13                   

14  .... 

15  

16  , 

17  

18  

Distillation  of  Shoshone  Petroleum. 

500  cubic  centimeters  of  oil  distilled.     Each  fraction  is  5  per  cent. 


No.  of  fraction 

Boiling 
Point. 
Centigrade 

Specific 
Gravity 

Degree 
Baume 

Flashing 
Point 

Burning 
Point 

Cold  Test 

°C. 

°F. 

°C. 

°F. 

°C. 

°F. 

1                                   -    - 

165-265 
265-295 
295-305 
305-325 
325-335 
335 
335 
325 
315 
305 
255 

.a590 
.8840 
.8888 
.9065 
.9125 
.9235 
.9175 
.8800 
.8995 
.8955 
.8790 

32.0 
28.4 
27.5 
24.4 
23.4 
21.6 
22.6 
29.1 
25.6 
26.3 
29.3 

27 

?2 
72 
82 
92 
107 
97 
42 
37 
40 
37 

81 
162 
162 
180 
198 
225 
207 
108 
99 
104 
99 

67 
137 
122 
139 
147 
167 
155 
64 
62 
67 
57 

153 

279 
252 
283 
297 
333 
311 
148 
144 
153 
135 

-10 
—7 
—10 
-11 
4 
—10 

14 
19 
14 
30 
39 
14 

2                               ... 

3                    

4    •      

5         

6                                   •    . 

7  

8  

9                   .   . 

10                       

11  ..              

The  Salt  Creek  Oil  Basin  is  situated  fifty  miles  north  of 
Casper,  Natrona  County.  This  oil  is  the  finest  lubricating  oil 
in  the  world.  It  is  hauled  in  wagons  a  distance  of  fifty  miles, 
to  Casper,  to  be  refined. 


74 


THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 


Analysis  of  Oil  from  Salt  Creek  Basin,  Natrona   County. 

Crude  oil— red  by  transmitted  and  olive  green  by  reflected  light ;  specific  gravity,  .9050  (25.2°K.) 


No.  of 
Distillate 

Boiling  Point 

Specific 
Gravity 

Degree 
Baume 

Remarks 

°C. 

°F. 

1  . 

120-210 
210-265 
265-275 
275-280 
280-285 
285-290 
290-320 
320-340 

248-410 
410-510 
510-528 
528-536 
536-544 
544-554 
554-608 
608-612 

.8600 
.8710 
.8770 
.8730 
.8622 
.8393 
.8518 
.8610 
.8883 

32.6 
32.4 
30.3 
30.4 
33  3 

Flashes  at  50°C.  (121°F.) 
Flashes  at  98°C.  (210°F.) 

2  .  . 

3  

4  

5  

6  

38.0 
35.4 
&3.  4 

28.4 

7  

.8  

9  

10 

Coke 

Color  of  above:  Nos.  i  tog,  from  dull  straw  color  by  regular  gradations  to  the  color  of 
the  crude  oil  ;  No.  10,  black. 

Uinta  County  Oil  Fields. — This  district  includes  several 
fields — Bear  River  Basin,  Round  Mountain,  Fossil,  Spring 
Valley,  Twin  Creek,  Carter  and  Milliard — and  has  many  na- 
tural advantages  over  the  other  districts  on  account  of  its  prox- 
imity to  transportation,  the  Union  Pacific  railroad,  and  the 
points  of  distribution,  Salt  Lake  and  Ogden. 

The  following  analysis  is  a  fair  representation  of  the  oil 
from  several  fields  in  this  district : 

Distillation  of  Uinta   County  Petroleum. 


By  Heating  and  Chang- 
ing Temperature 

The  Percentage 
Distilled  off 

Specific 
Gravity 

Hydrom- 
eter 

Nature  of  Product 

From 

To 

By  Vol. 

By  Wt. 

of  Product 

Gravity 

A  ... 

66°F. 

302°F. 

per  cent. 
15 

per  cent. 
17.1 

0.740 

60 

Gasoline  and  benzine 

B  .   .   . 

302 

491 

33.1 

33.  4 

0.802 

46 

Illuminating 

Heavy  illuminating, 

C  .   .   . 

491 

662 

26.5 

27.1 

0.830 

35 

as  Signal  or  Head- 

Ight 

D  .    .   . 

662 

Boiled  dry 

19.5 

20.4 

0.840 

31 

Lubricating  Oil  and 

Paraffin 

Residue 

Bituminous,  soluble 

? 

1 

" 

Carbon  &  ash,  insoluble 

9 

1 

Per  cent. 

Naphtha,  60°  F.  (gasoline  and  benzine) .27.0 

Water  white  kerosene,  45°  Baum6,  145°  flash,  172°  fire  test. 25. 5 

Signal  and  headlight,  40°  Baum£,  300°  fire  test 7.0 

Lubricating  reduced  stock,  23.5°  Baum£ 40.5 


100.0 


The  cold  test  of  the  crude  oil  is  58°  F.,  and  the  amount  of 
crystallized  paraffin  that  was  present  in  the  lubricating  stock 
is  18.5  per  cent. 


OIL.  75 

The  Bonanza  Qil  Field  and  the  Cottonwood  Oil  Field  are 

in  close  proximity  to  each  other  in  Big  Horn  County,  near  the 
No  Wood  River,  a  tributary  of  the  Big  Horn.  Active  develop- 
ment work  is  now  being  carried  on  in  this  district,  a  very  fine 
grade  of  oil  having  been  found. 

Analysis  of  Bonanza  Oil. — Specific  gravity,  .8446  (36° 
Baum£).  Color:  Red;  strong  green  fluorescence.  Odor: 
Like  kerosene.  Flashing  point:  13°  C.  (55°  F.).  Burning 
point:  35°  C.  (95°  F.). 

Distillation  into  10  per  cent,  fractions : 
Fraction.  Boiling  Point.  Color. 

No.    i 80°  C.— 142°  C Water  white. 

No.    2 142°  C. — 177°  C Water  white. 

No.    3 177°  C. — 209°  C Water  white. 

No.    4 209°  C. — 240°  C Straw. 

No.    5 240°  C. — 265°  C Darker  yellow. 

No.    6 265°  C. — 303°  C Darker  yellow,  slight  fluo- 
rescence. 

No.    7 303°  C. — 350°  C'. Reddish   yellow,   stronger 

fluorescence. 

No.    8 350°  C.— 380°  C Reddish   yellow,    stronger 

fluorescence. 

No.    9 380°  C. — 400°  C Red,  bluish  fluorescence. 

No.  10 400°  C.  Seven  per  cent,  collected. 

This  petroleum  will  work  up  into  the  following  products: 

Gasoline 20  to  25  per  cent. 

Kerosene 55  to  60  per  cent. 

Light  lubricating  oil 5  to  10  per  cent. 

Paraffin 2  to     4  per  cent. 

Coke  and  loss 4  to     6  per  cent. 

The  Newcastle  Oil  Field  is  located  in  the  vicinity  of  New- 
castle, county  seat  of  Weston  County,  on  the  Burlington  rail- 
road. 

This  petroleum  is  similar  in  composition  to  the  Salt  Creek 
oils  and  belongs  to  the  class  of  heavy  oils,  and  is  not  suitable 
for  the  production  of  gasoline  or  kerosene,  although  they  can 
be  obtained  from  it.  Its  chief  value  will  be  for  lubricating  and 
for  fuel  purposes.  It  is,  in  its  natural  state,  an  excellent 
lubricant,  has  a  high  gravity  and  low  cold  test,  a  high  viscosity 
and  shows  no  paraffin  or  asphalt.  This  oil  is  also  well  fitted 
for  the  manufacture  of  gas. 

The  Newcastle  petroleum  as  represented  by  the  samples 
taken  from  the  pit  of  Eagle  Spring  has  a  specific  gravity  of 


76 


THE;  STATE;  OF  WYOMING. 


.9168  (22.8°  Baum£).  It  flashes  at  122°  C.  (251.6°  F.)  and 
takes  fire  at  153°  C.  (307.4°  F.).  The  odor  is  not  disagreeable, 
and  for  many  purposes  it  could  be  sold  as  a  lubricating  oil  in 
a  crude  state.  No  paraffin  crystallizes  out  on  cooling  and  little 
or  no  asphalt  is  left  on  distilling.  The  viscosity  at  60°  F.  is 
29.43,  using  Engler's  viscosimeter  and  compared  with  the  vis- 
cosity of  water. 

Distillation  of  Newcastle  Petroleum  from  the  Pit. 

1500  cc   in  copper  flask.     Collected  in  5  per  cent,  fractions. 


Fraction  No. 

Specific 
Gravity 

Degree 
Baume 

Flas 
Po 

ling 
nt 

Burning 
Point 

Remarks 

°C. 

°F. 

°C. 

°F. 

1  . 
2 

.868 

.874 
.881 
.888 
.892 
897 

31.2 
30.2 
29.2 
27.8 
«6.9 
26.0 
26.0 
26.0 
25.2 
25.0 
25.0 
25.0 
25.2 
30.1 
31.0 
26.0 
25.2 
27.5 
24.8 

80 
89 
97 
108 
100 
91 
70 
47 
60 
65 
73 
77 
83 
35 
37 
3d 
51 
50 
35 

176 
192 
206 
226 
212 
196 
158 
117 
140 
149 
163 
170 
181 
95 
99 
102 
124 
122 
95 

97 
117 
127 
137 
144 
145 
142 
135 
146 
153 
159 
154 
168 
89 
64 
101 
104 

* 

*  i 

207 
242 
260 
278 
291 
293 
288 
275 
295 
307 
318 
309 
334 
192 
147 
214 
219 
210 
188 

Light  yellow 
"         '         ,  slight  green  fluorescence 

"         '          green  fluorescence 

Reddish  yellow,  green  fluorescence 

Red,  strong  fluorescence 
Dark  red,  strong  fluorescence 

3 

4  

5  ...... 

6  ...... 

7  

897 

8  . 

.897 
.900 
.903 
.903 
.903 
.900 
.874 
.869 
.897 
.900 
.890 
.908 

9  

10  

11 

12            .   . 

13 

14  

15  

16  

17 

18  

19.   . 

The  Douglas  Oil  Field  is  situated  a  short  distance  south 
of  Douglas,  county  seat  of  Converse  County,  elevation  5,000 
feet.  The  quality  of  the  crude  oil  in  this  section  is  exceptional 
and  will  work  up  into  remarkable  lubricating  oils. 

Distillation  of  Douglas  Petroleum. 

Amount  used,  500  cc..  in  grammes,  480.5  gr.  ;  Specific  Gravity,  .9610;  Degrees  Baume,  16 
Flashing  Point,  i64°C.  (327°F.);  Burning  Paint,  i95°C.  (383°?.) 


Boiling  Point 

Specific 
Gravity 

Degree 
Baume 

Flashing  Point 

Burning 
Point 

Amount 
Grammes 

°C. 

°F. 

°C. 

°F. 

°C. 

°F. 

A 

25.00 
22  01 
22.20 
22  03 
22.13 
21.58 
21.89 
22.75 
22.82 
22.69 
22.55 
22.73 
22.78 
22.66 
22.50 
22.80 
7.36 

B 

170-279 
279-308 
308-310 
310-312 
312-317 
317-324 
324-345 
345-350 
350-341 
841-338 
338-348 
348-340 
340-334 
334-321 
321-309 
309- 

338-534 

534-586 
586-590 
590-593 
593-602 
602-615 
615-653 
653-662 
^  62-645 
645-640 
640-658 
658-644 
644-633 
633-609 
609-588 
588- 

.8805 
.8880 
.8810 
.8852 
.8634 
.8757 
.9100 
.9128 
.9075 
.9022 
.9090 
.9110 
.9063 
.9000 
.9122 
.9200 

29. 
27.6 
28.9 
28.1 
32.1 
29.9 
23.8 
23.4 
24.3 
25.2 
24. 
23.7 
24.5 
25.5 
23.5 
22  1 

50 

122 

95 

203 

c 

D 

30 

86 

86 

186 

jj 

F  

Below  15 

59 

28 

82 

tj 

H            ... 

27 

80 

96 

204 

I  
T  

Below  15 

59 

54 

129 

fc 

L          .... 

Below  15 

59 

58 

136 

M  

N                 .    . 

Below  15 

59 

47 

116 

0 

P 

Below  15 

59 

20 

68 

OIL. 


77 


The  Belle  Fourche  Oil  Field  is  situated  about  fifteen 
miles  north  of  Moorcroft,  on  the  Burlington  railroad,  in  Crook 
County.  In  the  early  history  of  the  discovery  of  gold  in  the 
Black  Hills,  needing  lubricating  oil  for  the  machinery,  men 
were  employed  in  this  field  in  collecting  oil  from  the  springs, 
which  was  transported  by  wagon  to  Deadwood  and  there 
sold  for  $28  per  barrel. 

Belle  Fourche  Petroleum. 


No. 

Per 

Cent. 

Boiling  Point 

Specific 
Gravity 

Degree 
Baume 

Flashing 
Point 

Burning 
Point 

°C. 

°F. 

°C. 

°F. 

°C. 

°F. 

1 

2.74 

2.30 
2.01 
2.74 
2.13 
3.07 
3.28 
4.11 
4.27 
4.66 
4.27 
5.09 
4.32 
4.77 
6.29 
9.53 
6.74 
10.79 
14.98 
1.91 

Below  200 
200-230 
230-240 
240-250 
250-260 
260  -270 
270-280 
280-290 
290-300 
300-310 
310-320 
320-330 
330-340 
340-oSO 
350-360 
360-370 
370-380 
380-390 
390-400 
Residue   . 

Below  392 
392-446 
446-464 
4f4-482 
482-500 
500-518 
518-536 
536-554 
554-572 
672-890 
590-608 
608-626 
626-644 
644-662 
662-680 
680-698 
689-716 
716-734 
734-752 

.775 
.828 
.846 
.852 
.857 
.863 
.869 
.874 
.879 
.883 
.889 
.892 
.894 
.898 
.899 
.899 
.901 
.907 
.910 

50.0 
39.1 
35.4 
34.3 
33.3 
32.2 
31.1 
30.2 
29.3 
28.6 
27.5 
27.0 
26.6 
25.9 
25.7 
25.7 
25.4 
24.4 
23.8 

2                   .   . 

37 
55 
67 
74 
84 
92 
100 
110 
115 
118 
126 
120 
117 
110 
96 
75 
55 
42 

99 
131 
153 

165 
183 
198 
212 
230 
239 
244 
259 
248 
243 
230 
205 
167 
131 
108 

50 
69 
77 
85 
104 
110 
119 
124 
130 
138 
145 
145 
155 
167 
167 
155 
135 
125 

122 
156 
171 
185 
219 
230 
246 
255 
266 
280 
293 
293 
311 
333 
333 
311 
274 
257 

3                .... 

4            

5 

6  

1 

8             .... 

9      ... 

10  ...           ... 

11  
12  

13  . 

14 

15  .. 

16 

17     . 

18 

19. 

20.   . 

The  Oil  Mountain  Field  is  situated  twenty-five  miles  west 
of  Casper,  Natrona  County.  This  petroleum  is  principally 
valuable  for  lubricating  purposes,  although  the  most  of  it 
could  be  worked  up  into  kerosene  for  open  lamps,  such  as 
miners  use. 

Distillation  in  a  Vacuum  of  Petroleum  from  Oil  Mountain. 

10  per  cent  fractions,  35  millimeters  pressure 


NO. 

Boiling  Point 

Specific 
Gravity 

Degree 
Baume 

Flas 
Po 

ling 
nt 

Burning 
Point 

OG 

OF 

OC 

op 

OC 

OF 

1 

180-211 
211-242 
242-269 
269-276 
276-310 
310-320 
320-335 
335-340 
340-340 

356-412 
412-468 
468-516 
516-527 
527-590 
590-608 
608-635 
635-644 
644-644 

.873 
.881 
.893 
.899 
.906 
.909 
.910 
.888 
.894 
.897 

30.4 
29.0 
26.8 
26.0 
25.5 
24.0 
23.0 
26.0 
26.8 
26.0 

112 

137 
155 
160 
193 
200 
167 
98 
80 

234 
279 
311 
320 
379 
392 
333 
208 
176 

196 
201 
223 
237 
250 
287 
255 
203 
179 

385 
394 
433 
459 
482 
549 
491 
397 
354 

2 

3  .   .          

4  

5  

6  ... 

7            .              .... 

8  

9  

10.  . 

The  Button  Oil  Field  is  situated  partly  in  Fremont  County 
and  partly  in  Natrona  County.  Many  oil  springs  are  found 
here  and  natural  gas  is  quite  abundant.  There  is  practically 


THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 


no  development  in  this  district.    The  oil  has  a  gravity  of  .927 
(21°  B.). 

The  Rattlesnake  and  Arago  Oil  Fields  are  on  the  north- 
east slope  of  the  Rattlesnake  Mountains  in  Natrona  County. 
Here  is  found  asphaltum  in  sufficient  quantities  for  commercial 
importance,  if  it  were  not  for  the  lack  of  transportation.  The 
petroleum  of  this  district  will  be  very  valuable  for  fine  lubri- 
cating oil,  and  the  residuum  will  make  the  best  kind  of  asphalt. 

The  Powder  River  Oil  Field  is  located  on  the  South  Fork 
of  Powder  River,  sixty  miles  northwest  of  Casper,  county 
seat  of  Natrona  County ;  fifty  miles  south  of  Buffalo,  county 
seat  of  Johnson  County.  There  are  many  oil  springs  in  this 
field.  In  working  this  field  the  natural  outlet  of  the  oil  is  on 
the  South  Fork  of  the  Powder  River  to  the  Burlington  rail- 
road, where  a  gravity  pipe  line  could  easily  be  constructed. 

This  is  one  of  the  best  fields  in  Wyoming;  the  structural 
features  are  ideal.  This  petroleum  is  heavy  and  black;  the 
Odor  is  slight,  resembling  common  kerosene,  and  in  general 
character  is  similar  to  Salt  Creek  oil  and  the  Popo  Agie  oil. 
The  petroleum,  under  proper  treatment,  will  be  profitable  for 
lubricating  oils  and  asphalt. 

Distillation  in  a  Vacuum  of  Petroleum  from  Oil  Canon,  Po^uder  River  P'leld 

10  per  cent  fractions,  35  millimeters  pressure. 


NO. 

Boiling  Point 

Specific 
Gravity 

Degree 
Baun.e 

Flashing 
Point 

Binning 

Point 

°C 

OF 

°C 

CF 

°C 

op 

\                   

i:-tt)-l8<) 
180-200 
200-2-K) 
220-246 
246-248 
248-308 
308-334 
334-320 
320-364 

266-356 
356-392 
392-428 
428-475 
475-478 
478-586 
586-633 
633-608 
608-687 

.842 
.860 
.870 
.888 
.902 
.902 
.957 
.957 
.882 
.900 

36.1 
32.4 
30.8 
27.5 
25.2 
25.2 
16.9 
16.9 
28.6 
25.4 

57 
72 
77 
74 
1T6 
1«0 
1*4 
67 
55 
47 

135 
162 
171 
165 
349 
373 
363 
153 
131 
117 

71 
95 

92 
110 
205 
228 
249 
118 
83 
93 

160 
203 
.   198 
230 
401 
442 
480 
244 
181 
199 

2                  

3         

4            

5                    

6                    

7               

N            

q                           

JO                       

Development. — The  successful  and  profitable  develop- 
ment of  many  of  the  oil  fields  depends  largely  upon  the  con- 
struction of  new  railway  lines — an  investment  fully  warranted 
by  this  resource — but  there  are  a  great  many  opportunities 
presented  in  many  of  the  fields  which  are  adjacent  to  present 
railway  lines  for  profitable  and  highly  remunerative  develop- 
ment. 


CLIMATE.  79 


The  Climate  and  Its  Benefits. 


Mountain  Ranges. — Nine-tenths  of  Wyoming  lies  within 
the  Rocky  Mountain  region.  Strictly  speaking,  the  whole  State 
is  a  region  of  vast  plains,  relieved  by  broken  and  detached 
ranges  and  mountain  spurs.  In  the  eastern  part  of  the  State 
we  encounter  the  Laramie  Range,  which  extends  northwest- 
erly for  200  miles. 

Proceeding  westward,  after  traversing  the  southern  portion 
of  the  Laramie  Plains,  we  come  to  the  Medicine  Bow  Moun- 
tains. Crossing  the  Platte  River,  which,  with  its  tributaries,  oc- 
cupies a  breadth  of  fifteen  to  twenty-five  miles,  we  come  to  the 
main  chain  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  in  a  broken  series  of  ranges 
extending  through  the  State.  From  the  western  base  of  the 
Laramie  Range,  after  crossing  the  Laramie  Plains,  nearly  100 
miles  in  width,  an  east  and  west  range  of  mountains  is  found, 
which  constitute  the  southern  front  of  the  Sweetwater  Valley. 
This  wall  bears  several  names,  to-wit:  Sweetwater,  Seminoe 
and  Ferris  Mountains,  ranges  about  five  to  twelve  miles  in 
width,  and  in  length  almost  eighty  miles.  West  of  these  lies 
the  Green  River  Valley,  sixty  to  seventy  miles  across. 

Returning  to  the  eastern  boundary,  we  find  the  Black 
Hills  extending  to  the  northern  boundary  of  the  State,  where 
they  come  in  contact  with  the  Little  Missouri  and  Wolf  Moun- 
tains, whose  high  and  picturesque  heads  occupy  much  of  the 
northeastern  corner  of  the  State. 

Passing  over  the  beautiful  valley  of  the  Powder  River 
and  its  tributaries,  towards  the  west,  we  come  to  the  mag- 
nificent Big  Horn  Range,  fifty  miles  in  breadth,  extending 
150  miles  in  Wyoming.  Beyond  flows  the  Big  Horn  River, 
watering  a  basin  fifty  to  one  hundred  miles  in  width.  Still 
beyond,  in  a  southwesterly  direction,  are  found  the  Owl  Creek, 
Rattlesnake  and  Wind  River  Mountains,  the  last  named  being 
the  most  extensive,  with  a  direction  corresponding  to  that  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains.  In  fact  they  form  a  part  of  this  great 
chain,  and,  extending  for  a  distance  of  200  miles  from  the  point 
of  departure  from  the  Sweetwater  Range,  finally  end  in  the 
Yellowstone  National  Park. 

Still  west  of  this  range  lie  the  upper  basins  of  the  Green 
and  Snake  Rivers,  the  two  being  separated  by  short  spurs, 
known  as  the  Gros  Ventre  and  Wyoming  Mountains,  con- 


8o  THE  STATE;  OF  WYOMING. 

necting  the  Wind  River  with  the  Wasatch  referred  to  as  con- 
tributing, for  about  100  miles,  to  the  western  wall  of  the  State. 

From  this  general  description  of  the  position,  extent  and 
course  of  mountain  ranges,  widely  distributed  over  the  State, 
it  will  be  seen  that  large  areas  of  valley  and  plain  must  exist. 
Recalling  the  physical  peculiarities  of  the  State,  the  north- 
westerly trend  of  its  broken  and  scattered  mountains,  with 
grand  gateways  for  the  admission  of  Pacific  air  currents,  and 
the  low  altitude  of  the  mountain  ranges  beyond  the  northern 
boundary  of  Wyoming,  we  should  be  prepared  to  deduce  a 
climate  theoretically  quite  different  from  one  based  on  altitude 
and  latitude  alone.  That  latitude  itself  is  not  a  sufficient  cri- 
terion, anyone  may  satisfy  himself  by  comparing  the  climate 
of  Western  Europe  with  those  of  the  Atlantic  side  of  North 
America,  on  the  same  parallels.  Cold  New  England,  for  ex- 
ample, with  Spain  and  Italy,  rigorous  Newfoundland  with 
sunny  France,  or  frozen  Labrador  with  warm  Old  England. 
The  explanation  is  easy  when  we  take  into  account  the  con- 
figuration of  the  two  continents,  with  the  contrary  influence 
of  the  warm,  northeasterly  currents  of  wind  and  water  that 
temper  the  climate  of  the  European  continent,  and  the  chilling 
waters  from  Spitzbergen  that  wash  the  eastern  shores  of 
America.  On  the  western  shore  of  this  continent  the  exist- 
ing conditions  are  exactly  reversed.  It  is  warmed  by  the 
northeasterly  Pacific  currents,  which  diffuse  a  warmth  along 
the  slope  on  that  side  that  is  felt  throughout  the  high  regions 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  which,  coming  around  the  head 
of  those  mountains  and  down  along  the  eastern  side  of  the 
Big  Horn  Mountains,  exert  a  special  influence  throughout 
Northeastern  and  Eastern  Wyoming. 

General. — There  is  no  region  of  equal  area  that  is  pos- 
sessed of  more  abounding  and  diversified  richness  of  resources 
and  possibility.  It  is  almost  as  limitless  in  undeveloped  op- 
portunities as  it  was  when  Bonneville  first  broke  his  way 
into  Jackson  Hole — now  the  wonderland  of  the  United 
States.  Much  more  in  praise  of  the  richness  of  this  young 
commonwealth  could  be  given  without  vain  repetition  or  ex- 
aggeration. The  climate  of  this  region  of  mountains,  plains, 
parks  and  valleys,  of  this  land  of  sunshine,  azure  sky,  and 
bracing  and  tonic  air,  calls  for  a  more  widespread  apprecia- 
tion than  now  prevails.  From  what  has  been  said  of  the 
physical  features  of  Wyoming,  variety  of  climate  would  be 
•expected.  On  the  mountain  peaks,  13,000  feet  above  sea  level, 
perpetual  snow  abounds.  In  the  lower  valleys  apples,  grapes 
and  smaller  fruits  are  grown.  Three  things  are  common  to  all 
of  Wyoming — dry  air,  sunshine  and  blue  sky. 


CLIMATE.  81 

Medical  Authorities. 

"In  selecting  a  climate,  the  question  of  degree  of  tem- 
perature is  a  minor  one.  A  dry,  equable  temperature  is  al- 
ways preferable.  Dry  cold  is  not  dangerous,  and  is,  indeed, 
preferable  to  enervating  warmth."  (Wood  and  Fitz,  Practice 
of  Medicine.) 

George  Burney,  M.  D.,  says:  "In  selecting  a  climate  for 
a  consumptive,  the  first  question  which  occurs  to  us  is  the 
inquiry  as  to  the  proportion  of  sunny  days  in  which  outdoor 
exercise  can  be  safely  enjoyed.  In  the  great  majority  of 
cases  a  dry  climate,  with  abundant  sunshine  and  pure  air, 
constitutes  the  desideratum." 

Dr.  Weber  says:  "Setting  aside  individual  peculiarities, 
the  majority  of  tubercular  patients  do  best  at  a  height  of  three 
to  six  thousand  feet." 

Dr.  Knight  of  Boston  says :  "In  suitable  cases  (those  in 
which  large  cavities  are  not  formed  in  the  lungs)  the  improve- 
ment in  nutritive  activity  is  much  more  marked  in  moun- 
tainous regions  than  on  the  plains,"  and  that  "four  to  eight 
thousand  feet  is  the  proper  altitude."  In  this  statement  I 
fully  concur,  after  an  experience  in  treatment  of  many  cases 
of  pulmonary  consumption  covering  a  period  of  thirty-five 
years. 

"I  am  as  sure  as  I  can  be  that  recoveries  from  phthisis, 
judiciously  treated  at  high  altitudes,  are  much  more  numer- 
ous and  much  more  lasting  than  those  treated  by  any  other 
method  at  any  other  place."  (Sir  Andrew  Clark.) 

The  cases  that  are  most  favorably  impressed  here  are : 

1.  Where  the  apices  are  early  affected. 

2.  Those  without  cavities,  although  advanced  and  with 
consolidation. 

3.  Recent  cases  whose  salient  symptom  is  hemorrhage. 

4.  A  non-progressive  cavity  is  benefited. 

5.  Remaining    consolidation    after    pleurisy    and    pneu- 
monia. 

6.  Chronic  laryngeal  also  no  worse  here  than  elsewhere. 
The  clothing  worn  in  Wyoming  is  such  as  is  commonly 

worn  in  the  Middle  States,  of  our  latitude,  except  that  the 
storm  coat  is  but  little  used.  In  summer  underwear  of  me- 
dium weight  is  usually  worn. 

Cure  for  Special  Maladies. — If  one  were  called  upon  to 
select  a  climate  calculated  to  benefit  a  patient  suffering  from 
a  particular  malady  it  would  seem  the  most  rational  to  select 
one  where  that  particular  disease  or  class  of  diseases  did  not 
prevail,  and  as  endemic  phthisis  has  never  been  known  to 


82  THE;  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

generate  in  Wyoming,  no  stronger  argument  could  be  ad- 
vanced in  favor  of  this  being  a  curative  climate. 

Resorts  of  any  desirable  elevation  are  within  reach. 
Wyoming  presents  climatic  influences  equally  favorable  for 
the  restoring  of  those  invalided  by  bronchial  maladies  and  ca- 
tarrhal  states  of  the  throat  and  naso-pulmonary  air-passages 
as  it  presents  for  the  alleviation  and  cure  of  tuberculosis. 

This  is  the  region,  par  excellence,  for  asthmatic  people. 
Many  hundreds  of  people  of  all  ages  thus  afflicted  have  come 
here  from  the  low  altitudes  of  the  East  and  West,  have  been 
restored  to  health  and  vigor,  and  today  are  among  the  most 
active  and  prosperous  of  our  citizens. 

Our  altitude  does  not  militate  even  against  those  who 
have  valvular  disease  of  the  heart,  unless  where  compensation 
is  destroyed,  and  accompanied  by  dilation  and  weakness. 

My  observation  has  been  that  patients  do  equally  well 
at  advanced  age,  and  are  as  uniformly  benefited  in  this  alti- 
tude (6,041)  as  those  who  are  younger.  What  is  true  of  the 
heart  applies  as  well  in  regard  to  pneumonia,  bronchitis  and 
pleurisy,  which  diseases  are  extremely  rare  here,  and  the  per- 
centage of  deaths  much  smaller  than  in  any  other  State  in  the 
Union. 

Chronic  laryngitis  and  bronchitis  are  speedily  cured  by 
residence,  unless  they  exist  as  complications  of  advanced 
stages  of  consumption.  Persons  whose  habits  of  life  do  not 
allow  or  compel  them  to  fully  expand  their  lungs  in  a  pure 
atmosphere ;  pale,  anaemic  clerks,  those  of  sedentary  habits, 
with  hacking  coughs ;  nervous  and  dyspeptic  people ;  chil- 
dren with  narrow,  stooping  shoulders  and  flat  breasts,  with 
impaired  digestion,  should  come  to  these  mountains,  if  pos- 
sible, as  the  air  of  this  region  necessitates  full  breathing; 
every  cell  in  the  lungs  is  forced  into  activity,  straightening  the 
form,  increasing  the  breathing  area,  and  hurrying  the  blood, 
thus  purified,  freely  through  the  lungs. 

The  choice  of  climate  for  the  patient  is  the  most  import- 
ant part  of  the  treatment.  Usually  the  first  decision  made  is 
whether  the  patient  shall  or  shall  not  go  away  from  home. 
The  proper  rule  is,  the  milder  and  apparently  insignificant 
the  local  disease,  the  more  important  the  seeking  out  of  a 
suitable  climate,  because  the  more  is  to  be  hoped  from  climatic 
treatment.  If,  with  the  involument  of  each  lung,  there  be 
present  softening  and  formation  of  cavities,  change  of  cli- 
mate only  can  be  expected  to  give  relief.  Such  cases — except 
where  softening  is  of  limited  extent — should  not  be  brought 
to  these  high  altitudes,  as  the  fatal  termination  is  only  hast- 
ened by  so  doing.  Chronic  diseases  peculiar  to  women  do 


CLIMATK.  83 

well.  Those  suffering  from  general  debility  and  nervousness 
are  almost  certain  to  be  cured  by  a  residence  here  for  a  suf- 
ficient length  of  time. 

Climatology — Record  for  Five  Years. 

Temperature. — The  mean  temperature  averaged  41.7  de- 
grees. August  was  the  warmest  month,  with  a  mean  of  67.4 
degrees,  and  December  was  the  coldest,  with  a  mean  of  17.4 
degrees.  The  highest  monthly  mean  was  73.4  degrees  for 
July,  and  the  lowest  was  5.8  degrees  for  December.  The 
highest  temperature  was  105  degrees,  during  July  and  Au- 
gust, and  the  lowest  was  30  degrees  below  zero,  during  De- 
cember, an  extreme  range  for  the  State  of  135  degrees.  In 
December,  1903,  the  lowest  recorded  temperature  in  Cheyenne 
was  24  degrees  above  zero. 

Precipitation. — The  yearly  precipitation  was  12.58  inches, 
slightly  below  the  normal.  May  was  the  month  of  greatest 
precipitation,  when  nearly  twice  the  normal  occurred.  Sep- 
tember was  the  dryest  month  of  the  year,  the  average  being 
that  of  0.25  of  an  inch,  or  about  one-fourth  of  the  normal. 
The  average  was  above  the  normal  the  remainder  of  the  year. 

Weather. — The  percentages  of  clear,  partly  cloudy  and 
cloudy  days  were  50,  32  and  18,  respectively.  There  was  an 
average  of  sixty-seven  days  on  which  o.oi  of  an  inch  or  more 
precipitation  fell.  Foggy  weather  in  the  State  was  not  usual, 
as  at  Lander  dense  fog  did  not  prevail  for  an  hour  at  any  time 
during  the  year,  and  at  Cheyenne  but  twice.  The  percentage 
of  sunshine  at  Cheyenne  was  69,  being  least  in  May,  43,  and 
greatest  in  September,  77. 

Favored   Localities. 

The  mean  percentages  for  the  State  are  well  represented 
in  the  strip  of  country  lying  along  the  eastern  base  of  the 
mountains,  from  Cheyenne  on  the  south  to  Sheridan  on  the 
north.  This,  supplemented  by  the  valleys  of  the  Big  Horn, 
Wind  River  and  Grand  Encampment,  where  the  plains  meet 
the  foothills,  and  sheltered  by  the  towering  ranges  to  the 
west  and  south  is  the  region  best  suited  to  the  invalid.  Within 
this  district  are  Cheyenne,  Douglas,  Sheridan,  Casper,  Buf- 
falo. Cody,  Thermopplis,  Laramie,  Rawlins,  Saratoga  and 
Lander.  In  the  mountains  are  pleasant  parks  at  higher  eleva- 
tions, offering  attractive  outings  in  the  summer. 

The  elevation  in  this  belt  runs  from  3,400  to  7,500  feet. 
Rainfall,  as  seen  by  the  report  of  Observer  Palmer,  is  about 


84  THE;  STATE;  OF  WYOMING. 

fourteen  inches ;  snowfall  light  and  disappearing  rapidly  un- 
der the  bright,  warm  sun,  with  no  chilling  slush  to  prevent 
the  patient  from  enjoying  outdoor  life.  The  spring  and  sum- 
mer have  the  not  infrequent  showers  confined  to  the  after- 
noon. The  never  ending  rainy  spells  and  continued  drizzle 
of  the  lower  altitudes  do  not  occur  on  these  mountain 
plateaus.  The  dryness  of  the  air  of  this  great  tableland  and 
the  consequent  rapidity  of  evaporation  must  be  kept  in  mind 
in  considering  temperature  in  these  altitudes.  The  average 
summer  temperature  is  about  70  degrees. 

Climatic  Conditions. — The  heat  is  never  intense.  In  the 
hottest  summer  weather  it  is  but  a  step  from  the  heat  of  the 
sunshine  into  the  shade,  which  is  always  cool.  Sunstroke  is 
unknown.  The  air  in  winter  is  clear  and  sharp,  but  easily 
borne  and  even  pleasant.  All  over  the  State — except  at  high 
altitudes — one  may,  even  in  midwinter,  sit  in  comfort  in  the 
sunshine  in  any  sheltered  corner.  In  the  shade  there  is  the 
tingle  of  northern  cold,  and  heavy  clothing  is  none  too  warm. 
The  tonic  effect  of  this  climate  upon  nutrition  is  from  this 
coolness  the  more  marked.  It  is  the  brilliant  and  continuous 
sunshine  which  is  much  praised  by  mountain  residents,  and 
which  is  misunderstood  to  refer  to  air.  The  invalid  who 
comes  to  Wyoming  for  a  winter  is  not  coming  to  a  climate  of 
balmy  warmth,  but,  rather,  and  better,  to  one  where  the  brac- 
ing cold  is  flooded  for  more  than  three-fourths  of  the  day 
with  bright  sunshine.  The  sun  in  this  region  is  almost  a  con- 
stant equation,  reaching  about  82  per  cent,  of  the  total  days  of 
the  year.  The  chief  advantage  in  the  eastern  belt  of  Wyo- 
ming is  the  early  morning  sun.  There  are  no  high  walls  for 
the  sun  to  climb,  therefore  the  sun  is  up  and  spreading  his 
genial  rays  before  the  invalid  is  awake,  warming  the  atmos- 
phere for  his  outdoor  exercise,  without  the  long  wait  until 
midday,  which  is  required  in  other  high  altitudes.  Here  we 
have  the  good,  exhilarating  effects  of  nine  hours  of  sunshine. 
It  is  this  glory  of  perpetual  sunshine  which  has  perhaps 
more  to  do  with  the  beneficial  influence  of  Wyoming  climate 
on  both  sick  and  well  than  anything  else.  It  is  the  sparkling 
dry  air  which  makes  life  happier  and  more  satisfactory  than 
it  could  be  under  the  clouded  skies  of  the  East  and  South. 
Diminished  barometric  pressure,  small  rainfall,  low  atmos- 
pheric humidity,  intense  sunshine  on  account  of  the  dry  and 
thin  air,  and  absence  of  cloudiness,  make  this  the  ideal  abode 
for  those  suffering  from  pulmonary  troubles. 

Vacation  Resort  for  Tourists  and  Hunters. — There  is  no 
better  district  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  for  a  holiday  or  camp- 


CLIMATE.  85 

ing  tour  than  in  Wyoming.  The  stillness  of  the  mountain 
soothes  and  quiets  those  who  have  become  metnally  exhausted 
from  prolonged  strain  and  anxious  cares  or  absorbing  occupa- 
tions. Its  summer  is  cool,  and  in  the  higher  parks  the  nights 
are  cold.  Autumn  is  an  unbroken  stretch  of  cool  and  sunshiny 
days.  Game  and  fish  are  abundant.  The  railroads  carry  one 
to  within  a  short  ride,  by  horse  or  wagon,  through  yet  un- 
broken wilderness.  From  June  to  October  is  the  season  for 
roughing  it.  With  restoration  to  health,  Wyoming  does  not 
say,  "Now  return  to  your  home,"  but  rather  welcomes  the  re- 
stored invalid  and  holds  out  to  him  many  inducements  to  re- 
main. The  varied  resources  of  the  State  are  only  beginning 
to  be  appreciated.  Agriculture,  stock  raising  and  mining 
offer  a  wide  field  for  investment  and  development.  Besides 
all  these  things,  he  does  not  expatriate  himself,  but  is  at  home 
in  his  own  land,  surrounded  by  his  own  countrymen,  observing 
the  same  laws,  and  practicing  the  manners  and  customs  of  the 
community  in  which  he  was  reared. 

The  question  of  the  return  home  of  the  apparently  cured 
patient  is  always  a  serious  one;  in  the  majority  of  cases  a  per- 
manent residence  in  a  proper  climate  is  essential.  In  climatic 
treatment  of  pulmonary  diseases  it  is  not  weeks  or  months,  but 
often  years  of  residence,  that  is  required. 

Wyoming  presents,  in  the  cultivation  of  her  soil,  in  the 
prospects  of  her  mines  and  timber,  in  the  pastures  of  her  plains 
and  mountains,  greater  opportunities  for  work  in  the  open 
air,  with  better  remuneration  to  the  laborer,  than  prevail  in 
the  older  States :  while  to  those  of  means,  exploration,  hunting 
and  tent  life  furnish  enjoyable  recreation. 

Such,  briefly  sketched,  is  this  mountain  empire — vast  in 
extent,  presenting  the  most  picturesque  scenery,  the  greatest 
charm  of  climate,  the  riches  of  forest,  stream  and  mine,  a  treas- 
ure house  of  untold  wealth,  whose  unlimited  possibilities  and 
incalculable  resources,  together  with  the  bluest  and  gentlest 
of  heavens  bending  above,  invite  the  sick  and  well  alike  to 
come  and  partake  of  the  free  offering,  and  remain,  a  valued 
addition  to  our  population.  The  climate  is  one  of  the  richest 
endowments  of  Wyoming.  It  is  exhilarating;  cheers  and 
braces  each  individual,  lending  character  to  our  civil  and  in- 
dustrial life,  and  imparting  to  our  citizens  a  robustness  of 
physique  unequaled  in  any  country  in  the  entire  world. 


86  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 


Educational  Advantages. 


The  State  of  Wyoming  is  notable  for  the  educational  ad- 
vantages it  gives  the  children  of  its  citizens.  In  educational 
matters  it  leads  many  of  the  older  States,  in  that  it  employs 
a  larger  number  of  teachers  in  proportion  to  its  population  : 
that  its  school  year  is  longer ;  that  the  salaries  paid  its  teach- 
ers, especially  those  paid  women  teachers,  are  higher,  and  that 
its  school  methods  are  at  all  times  kept  in  unison  and  harmony 
with  the  latest  and  best  in  modern  education. 

The  amount  of  funds  raised  in  Wyoming  for  school  pur- 
poses by  voluntary  taxation  is  liberal,  and  expenditures  in  edu- 
cational matters  are  not  stinted.  The  district  school  board 
provides  free  text-books  for  all  pupils.  The  latest  and  most 
approved  text-books  have  been  purchased  and  supplied  to  every 
school  district  in  the  State.  The  result  of  this  liberality  and  of 
the  careful  attention  given  the  schools  of  the  State  by  its  citi- 
zens and  school  officers  has  been  to  keep  the  percentage  of 
illiteracy  in  Wyoming  below  that  of  any  State  or  Territory.  A 
practical  illustration  of  this  was  shown  at  the  muster  of  troops 
in  the  State  for  service  in  the  Spanish  war.  Of  1,000  young 
men  who  enlisted  in  Wyoming,  not  one  was  unable  to  sign 
his  name  to  the  muster  rolls,  and  every  man  had  received  a 
fair  education. 

There  are  over  18,000  pupils  enrolled  in  the  public  schools 
of  the  State.  These  are  in  attendance  at  615  schools.  Sparsely 
settled  communities  in  Wyoming  enjoy  equal  school  facilities 
with  more  thickly  settled  regions.  It  is  the  universal  custom  in 
the  State  to  establish  a  school  if  five  pupils  can  attend.  A  com- 
pulsory school  law  is  on  the  statute  books,  but  it  has  never 
been  found  necessary  to  enforce  it,  as  school  attendance  is 
voluntary. 

The  number  of  teachers  employed  in  the  State  is  684. 
The  salaries  paid  teachers  in  Wyoming  average  $70.78  per 
month  for  male  teachers  and  $46.39  for  female,  which,  when  it 
is  considered  that  the  country  schools  of  the  State  form  the 
great  majority  of  the  entire  number,  compare  most  favorably 
with  salaries  paid  in  other  States. 

The  400  school  buildings  of  the  State  are  well  built  and 
comfortable.  The  cost  of  construction  has  been  $503,390.43, 
while  repairs  and  improvements  amounting  to  ten  thousand 


EDUCATIONAL  ADVANTAGES.  87 

dollars  are  made  annually.  As  the  sparsely  settled  communi- 
ties of  the  State  grow,  the  primitive  log  building  which  at  first 
constitutes  the  school  house  gives  place  to  the  neat  frame  or 
brick  structure  with  all  the  modern  apparatus  for  successful 
educational  work. 

The  State  Superintendent  has  prepared  a  uniform  course 
of  instruction  for  the  graded  and  ungraded  schools  of  the  en- 
tire State.  This  has  served  to  systematize  the  work  of  teachers 
and  County  Superintendents,  and  has  added  materially  to  the 
effectiveness  of  the  service. 

One  of  the  most  valuable  aids  to  the  support  and  mainten- 
ance of  the  public  school  system  in  Wyoming  is  the  fund 
received  annually  from  the  rental  of  school  lands.  During  the 
year  ending  March  3ist,  1901,  the- sum  of  $58,048  was  received 
from  this  source  and  distributed  to  the  school  officers  of  each 
county  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  pupils  in  each.  In  1903 
the  amount  distributed  was  $71,615.66.  School  libraries  in  the 
different  counties  contain  20,000  volumes.  The  total  acreage 
of  school  land  in  the  State  which  may  be  utilized  for  this  pur- 
pose is  3,600,000  acres.  It  may  reasonably  be  expected  that 
sufficient  income  will  be  received  from  the  rental  of  school 
lands  within  the  near  future  to  increase  the  efficiency  of  the 
schools  of  the  State  to  the  highest  degree,  and  this  without  im- 
posing additional  burdens  upon  the  taxpayer. 

The  University  of  Wyoming. 

The  University  of  Wyoming  is  a  State  institution.  The 
first  direct  step  taken  toward  founding  the  University  was 
a  bill  passed  by  the  Ninth  Legislature  of  the  Territory  of 
Wyoming,  which  convened  in  1886,  securing  the  establish- 
ment of  a  University  in  the  City  of  Laramie. 

The  University  was  opened  in  the  fall  of  1887,  and  has 
been  growing  in  faculty,  attendance  and  equipment  ever  since. 
The  original  faculty  was  composed  of  seven,  the  present  of 
twenty-one,  members.  Student  attendance  has  increased  to 
such  an  extent  that  the  rolls  for  the  present  year,  1903-4,  will 
show  250  students  in  the  several  departments. 

In  addition  to  the  above  improvements,  new  buildings 
have  been  added  until  the  plant  is  estimated  at  present  to  be 
worth  a  half  million  dollars.  The  first  building  to  be  erected 
on  the  campus,  the  University  Hall,  is  a  beautiful  structure 
that  would  honor  any  city  or  institution  in  the  United  States.  It 
faces  the  west,  and  is  about  150  feet  in  length  and  50  feet  in 
breadth,  having  three  stories  and  a  commodious  garret  and 
store-room  above  the  basement.  The  material  used  in  its  con- 
struction is  native  sandstone.  The  rooms,  twenty-eight  in 


88  THE;  STATE;  OF  WYOMING. 

number,  as  well  as  all  the  corridors,  are  heated  by  steam  and 
lighted  by  electricity.  The  auditorium  in  the  second  story  is 
a  fine  assembly  hall,  seating  with  comfort  four  hundred  people. 

A  second  large  building,  to  which  commodious  wings 
have  since  been  added,  was  occupied  in  the  spring  of  1893  by 
the  College  of  Mechanical  Engineering.  About  $12,000  has 
already  been  spent  in  equipping  the  building  with  tools  and 
machinery. 

The  third  building,  known  as  the  Science  Hall,  was  made 
possible  by  an  appropriation  of  $35,000  by  the  Legislature  of 
1901.  This  beautiful  building  is  of  the  collegiate  gothic  style 
of  architecture,  and  is  built  of  gray  sandstone  similar  to  that 
used  in  other  buildings.  The  lower  or  basement  floor  is  oc- 
cupied by  the  University  Museum  and  its  work-rooms.  This 
story  is  double  height,  in  order  that  it  may  accommodate  the 
great  fossils  that  are  being  restored  and  placed  on  exhibition. 

On  the  second  or  main  floor  are  the  offices,  recitation 
room  and  laboratories  of  the  departments  of  Biology  and  Geol- 
ogy. Here  is  found  also  a  large,  well  equipped  general  lecture 
room.  The  third  floor  is  given  up  to  the  department  of  Chem- 
istry, and  contains,  besides  the  office,  class  room  and  labora- 
tories of  the  department,  the  laboratory  of  the  State  Chemist. 

The  Legislature  of  1903  appropriated  $15,000  for  an 
Armory  and  Gymnasium.  This  building  has  been  completed 
and  is  now  occupied  by  the  Military  department  and  the 
Athletic  Association.  The  basement  of  the  gymnasium  con- 
tains the  offices  of  the  head  of  the  Military  department,  an 
officer  of  the  regular  army,  and  gymnasium  instructor,  lockers, 
shower  baths,  armory,  etc.  The  building  is  of  brick,  with 
stone  trimmings.  The  whole  floor,  a  clear  space  of  45  by  90 
feet,  is  available  for  company  drill,  athletic  practice,  etc.  A 
running  track  is  suspended  from  the  ceiling  in  the  form  of  a 
gallery,  used  also  by  spectators  at  games  and  entertainments. 

A  general  heating  plant  for  all  the  buildings  has  been  in- 
stalled near  the  center  of  the  campus  during  the  past  year  at 
a  cost  of  $16,000. 

The  University  Library  now  contains  about  17,000  bound 
volumes,  and  in  addition  several  thousand  unbound  bulletins 
and  reports. 

Since  the  founding  of  the  institution  $100,000  in  all  has 
been  expended  for  apparatus  in  the  different  scientific  depart- 
ments. As  a  result,  the  laboratories  are  as  well  equipped  as 
in  any  of  the  institutions  of  the  West. 

The  Museum  of  Geology  and  Paleontology  is  constantly 
growing  in  importance.  The  collection  of  plants  at  the  Uni- 
versity has  been  officially  designated  "The  Rocky  Mountain 


EDUCATIONAL  ADVANTAGES.  89 

Herbarium."  It  contains  more  than  45,000  sheets  of  mounted 
specimens,  and  is  much  the  largest  collection  in  the  Rocky 
Mountain  States,  all  of  the  important  collections  made  in  the 
West  during  recent  years  having  been  secured. 

The  Courses  Offered  by  the  University. — What  the  Uni- 
versity of  Wyoming  is  doing  for  the  higher  education  of  the 
young  people  of  the  State  is  shown  by  the  following  courses 
of  study : 

The  College  of  Liberal  Arts. — There  is  first  the  College  of 
Liberal  Arts,  giving  in  four  years  what  is  commonly  known 
as  a  "college  education."  In  the  first  two  years  of  this  de- 
partment all  the  studies  are  prescribed,  although  the  student 
has  the  choice  of  a  classical,  literary  or  scientific  course.  In 
the  last  two  years  almost  all  the  studies  are  elective.  By 
this  arrangement  it  is  believed  that  a  sufficiently  broad  and 
thorough  course  is  insured,  and  at  the  same  time  the  tastes 
and  needs  of  the  individual  student  are  allowed  free  scope. 

The  Preparatory  School. — Since  there  are  many  parts  of 
the  State  not  yet  provided  with  high  schools  fitting  for  the  Uni- 
versity courses,  a  preparatory  school,  with  a  course  of  three 
years'  work,  is  maintained. 

The  Graduate  School. — This  department  affords  an  oppor- 
tunity for  those  who  wish  to  carry  their  studies  beyond  the 
limits  of  the  college  course. 

For  the  benefit  of  those  who  cannot  devote  so  much  time 
to  general  education,  but  who  wish  to  be  trained  for  some  spe- 
cial profession,  there  are  six  technical  schools  provided,  viz : 
The  Normal  School,  The  School  of  Mines,  the  College  of 
Agriculture  and  the  Agricultural  Experiment  Station,  the 
College  of  Mechanical  Engineering,  the  College  of  Commerce 
and  the  School  of  Music.  These  courses  all  require  less  time 
by  two  years  than  the  College  of  Liberal  Arts,  and  are  designed 
to  give  a  thorough  and  practical  preparation  for  those  pro- 
fessions which  are  more  particularly  demanded  now  in  this 
new  State. 

The  University  of  Wyoming  is  founded  and  maintained 
for  the  purpose  of  being  as  useful  as  possible  to  the  people  of 
Wyoming.  The  University  is,  therefore,  devoting  its  attention 
not  only  to  the  study  of  problems  of  general  interest  and  theo- 
retical importance,  but  especially  to  the  solution  of  those  prob- 
lems which  confront  the  people  in  this  new  and  undeveloped 
State.  With  this  thought  in  mind,  all  plants  or  minerals  sent 
to  the  Univeristy  are  determined  gratis.  Only  a  nominal  fee 


9©  THE  STATE  OP  WYOMING. 

is  charged  for  assaying.  Mineral  waters  are  analyzed  and  oils 
are  examined,  fossils  are  identified,  and  special  scientific  in- 
formation upon  any  topic  is  sent  to  anyone  in  the  State  upon 
request. 

Wyoming  Experiment  Station. — This  is  the  department  of 
research  of  the  College  of  Agrculture  of  the  University  of  Wyo- 
ming. Its  work  is  to  publish  useful  and  practical  information 
on  subjects  connected  with  agriculture.  The  results  of  its  ex- 
periments are  published  in  the  station  bulletins,  which  are  sent 
free  on  request  to  residents  of  this  State.  Some  of  the  sixty 
bulletins  thus  far  published  by  the  Agricultural  Experiment 
Station  are  as  follows :  Potatoes,  Fruit  Growing  in  Wyoming, 
Cultivated  Shade  and  Forest  Trees,  Some  Native  Forage 
Plants  for  Alkali  Soils,  Alfalfa  as  a  Hay  Crop,  Wyoming  Sugar 
Beets,  Lamb-Feeding  Experiments,  Alkali,  Wheat  Culture, 
Food  Adulteration. 

The  endeavor  has  been  to  make  these  bulletins  popular 
and  educational  in  their  nature,  and  such  as  will  meet  the  de- 
mands of  our  own  farmers,  by  giving  them  practical  informa- 
tion. Altogether  there  have  been  published  by  the  University 
over  5,000  pages  on  the  agricultural  and  mineral  resources  of 
the  State,  all  original  matter,  based  on  experiments  and  explo- 
rations by  the  scientific  members  of  the  faculty.  The  settler 
new  to  the  country  will  find  in  these  publications  information 
as  to  crops  and  methods  which  will  save  him  thousands  of 
dollars  and  years  of  work  in  the  fruitless  experiments  which  he 
might  otherwise  undertake. 

Charles  Willard  Lewis,  LL.  D.,  is  President  of  the  Uni- 
versity. 


Public   Libraries. 


Wyoming  early  made  provision  for  the  purchase  and  ex- 
change of  valuable  law  books  and  reports.  The  library  is  in 
charge  of  the  State  Librarian,  under  the  direction  of  the  Jus- 
tices of  the  Supreme  Court,  and  is  open  during  the  business 
hours  observed  by  the  public  officers  at  the  Capitol.  The  law 
library  contains  nearly  8,000  volumes,  exclusive  of  the  public 
laws  and  documents  of  the  State. 


ALBANY  COUNTY.  91 

Of  the  260,000  acres  of  land  granted  by  the  General  Gov- 
ernment for  State  charitable,  educational,  penal  and  reforma- 
tory institutions,  in  addition  to  special  land  grants  for  such 
purposes,  15,000  acres  were  set  aside  in  1897  for  the  mainten- 
ance of  the  law  library.  At  the  present  time  these  lands  yield 
an  annual  income  from  rents  of  about  $600,  which  is  used  in 
the  purchase  of  new  books. 

An  act  to  increase  the  State  Library  by  adding  a  miscel- 
laneous collection  of  standard  books  was  also  passed  by  the 
Legislature  in  1897,  and  15,000  acres  of  land  set  aside,  the  in- 
come from  which  is  used  in  the  maintenance  of  a  miscellaneous 
library.  The  nucleus  of  such  a  library,  consisting  of  three 
thousand  volumes,  has  been  purchased  and  is  now  available  to 
the  citizens  of  the  State.  Provision  has  also  been  made  by  the 
State  for  the  establishment  of  county  libraries,  and  in  many 
counties  such  libraries  are  maintained  for  the  benefit  of  the  resi- 
dents. LTnder  the  auspices  of  the  Wyoming  Historical  Society 
have  been  collected  many  early  books,  papers  and  documents 
bearing  upon  the  early  history  of  Wyoming,  which  are  open 
to  inspection  at  the  State  Library.  The  collection  of  Wyo- 
ming minerals  shown  at  the  World's  Fair,  with  the  medals  and 
diplomas-  awarded,  are  also  upon  exhibition  at  the  Capitol. 


Albany  County. 


Albany  County  was  named  by  a  representative  from  the 
then  unnamed  county  to  the  Dakota  Legislature,  who,  being 
a  former  resident  of  Albany,  New  York,  named  the  new  county 
Albany.  It  has  an  area  of  3,248,640  acres;  of  this,  1,077,754 
acres  are  listed  for  taxation.  Total  valuation  of  county,  $4,248,- 
938 ;  total  tax  levy,  including  State  levy,  20  mills ;  bonded  in- 
debtedness, $127,000;  mean  elevation,  6,500  feet. 

Agriculture. — Twenty-five  years  ago  those  who  suggested 
that  agricultural  products  might  be  raised  with  profit  in 
Albany  County  were  ridiculed.  Today  hundreds  of  citizens 
are  not  only  making  a  living,  but  are  reaping  large  profits. 
In  the  year  1903  Mr.  E.  J.  Bell  raised  from  thirty  acres  of  land 
more  than  three  thousand  sacks  of  potatoes  of  one  hundred 
pounds  each.  He  is  selling  this  product  at  the  rate  of  $1.00 
per  sack.  His  net  return  is  about  sixty  per  cent.  His  fields  of 


92  THS  STATE  of  WYOMING. 

oats  produced  an  enormous  yield,  more  than  fifty  bushels  per 
acre,  but  this  is  by  no  means  the  largest  yield  ever  produced 
on  the  Laramie  plains.  Crops  of  oats  exceeding  seventy-five 
bushels  per  acre  have  been  raised  in  the  vicinity  of  Lake  lone. 
The  soil  of  the  Laramie  plains  is  suitable  and  the  season  at  an 
elevation  of  7,000  feet  is  sufficiently  long  for  all  kinds  of  small 
grain,  alfalfa  (two  crops),  nearly  all  the  vegetables,  sugar 
beets,  etc.  A  ready  market  is  found  for  all  kinds  of  farm  pro- 
duce at  prices  far  in  advance  of  those  prevailing  in  Kansas 
and  Nebraska. 

Stock  Raising  is  still  the  principal  industry,  more  than 
$2,000,000  being  invested  in  domestic  animals.  The  days  of 
the  large  outfits  have  passed,  but  the  business  has  not  declined 
in  consequence  and  is  far  more  profitable.  Under  existing  con- 
ditions, the  ranchmen  of  Albany  County  keep  just  the  number 
of  animals  that  can  be  well  cared  for  in  the  winter  time,  making 
it  a  universal  rule  to  provide  sufficient  hay  to  carry  them 
through  in  good  condition.  A  constant  evolution  from  the 
large  to  the  small  ranch  is  in  progress,  and  in  the  near  future 
all  the  large  holdings  will  doubtless  be  divided  into  small,  well 
equipped  farms  and  ranches.  Land  owners  are  rapidly  learn- 
ing that  it  is  more  profitable  to  bring  their  lands  under  culti- 
vation than  to  hold  them  solely  for  range  purposes. 

The  City  of  Laramie  is  the  county  seat  and  principal  town 
of  Albany  County.  Its  population,  census  of  1900,  is  8.207. 
Here  is  located  the  University  of  Wyoming ;  the  public  school 
system  is  of  the  very  best.  Among  the  manufacturing  cities 
of  the  State,  Laramie  takes  first  place.  The  iron  rolling  mills 
here  employ  about  two  hundred  men  and  turn  out  a  large 
quantity  of  finished  articles,  such  as  bolts,  nuts,  angle  iron, 
fish  plates,  etc.  Just  to  the  south  of  the  city,  and  within  its 
limits,  is  located  the  factory  of  the  Acme  Cement  Company. 
It  owns  about  1,000  acres  of  plaster  land,  which  has  a  deposit 
of  natural  plaster  from  six  to  eight  feet  in  thickness.  It  is  put 
through  a  calcining  process  and  becomes  the  finest  of  building 
material.  It  is  used  throughout  the  West,  the  output  of  the 
plant  being  from  six  to  ten  car  loads  per  day.  Another  plaster 
mill,  belonging  to  the  Rocky  Mountain  Plaster  Company,  is 
located  nine  miles  south,  at  Red  Buttes  station.  Its  product 
is  made  from  gypsum,  and  it  is  what  is  known  as  a  hard-rock 
mill.  Very  fine  plaster  of  paris  and  four  other  grades  of  plaster 
are  manufactured  here.  The  two  plaster  concerns  employ 
about  fifty  men. 

At  Laramie  the  Union  Pacific  operates  large  shops  and  a 
tie-preserving  plant.  The  ties  are  brought  here  from  the  moun- 


Q  P 

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B  B 

P  C 


ALBANY  COUNTY.  93 

tains  and  undergo  a  pickling  process  which  prolongs  their  life 
perhaps  two  and  one-half  times.  In  the  shops  and  at  the  tie 
plant  150  men  are  employed.  It  is  a  freight  division  on  the 
Union  Pacific,  and  many  railroad  men  have  their  homes  estab- 
lished at  this  point. 

Lumber  is  manufactured  in  the  adjacent  mountains,  and 
an  excellent  quality  of  brick  is  made  in  the  city.  A  pressed 
brick  plant  is  in  operation.  Building  material  and  labor  are 
more  reasonable  than  in  most  Western  cities,  hence  buildings 
for  homes  and  business  purposes  can  be  constructed  at  fair 
rates. 

During  the  year  1903  a  large  quantity  of  limestone  was 
shipped  to  the  beet  sugar  plants  and  smelters  of  Colorado  from 
quarries  just  to  the  east  of  Laramie.  The  Union  Pacific  has 
constructed  a  spur  to  these  quarries  and  ten  car  loads  per  day 
are  being  shipped.  This  limestone  is  the  purest  discovered  in 
the  United  States  and  is  practically  inexhaustible.  It  was  used 
some  years  ago  in  the  manufacture  of  glass.  All  the  other 
ingredients  for  the  manufacture  of  glass  of  a  superior  quality 
are  found  at  Laramie,  and  it  is  within  the  realm  of  reason  to 
predict  that  this  industry  will  soon  be  in  a  flourishing  condi- 
tion at  this  point.  Enough  has  been  done  to  demonstrate  its 
feasibility. 

The  State  Fish  Hatchery  is  located  five  miles  southeast  of 
Laramie.  At  this  institution  more  than  a  million  small  fry  are 
hatched  annually  and  distributed  among  the  streams  of  the 
State.  With  two  exceptions,  the  streams  of  Albany  County 
were  naturally  without  trout,  hence  the  State  Hatchery  has 
been  of  untold  value  to  the  local  angler,  as  well  as  to  those 
who  enjoy  the  delicacy  of  trout  upon  their  tables.  No  better 
trout  fishing  is  enjoyed  by  the  people  of  any  section  than  is  had 
by  the  people  of  Albany  County.  The  Big  and  Little  Laramie 
Rivers  and  all  their  tributaries  teem  with  the  speckled  beau- 
ties. .  It  is  not  an  uncommon  thing  for  a  fisherman  to  catch 
twenty  pounds  of  trout  in  a  half  day's  fishing.  Laramie's  rep- 
utation as  a  fishing  resort  is  becoming  world  wide,  and  people 
come  from  other  States  to  enjoy  the  delightful  pleasure  and 
recreation.  Along  the  Big  Laramie  several  excellent  summer 
resorts  have  been  established  for  the  accommodation  of  vis- 
itors. 

Fruit  Growing. — Many  of  the  residents  of  Albany  County 
are  successfully  raising  small  fruit,  such  as  raspberries,  cur- 
rants, gooseberries,  strawberries,  etc.,  and  some  attempts  have 
been  made  at  raising  apples  and  other  large  fruits.  One  ranch- 
man, Mr.  Jacob  Lund,  has  for  several  years  raised  a  quantity 


94  THE  STATE;  of  WYOMING. 

of  Wealthy  apples  at  his  ranch  near  Jelm,  elevation  7,400  feet. 
There  is  no  reason  to  believe  that  fruit  in  almost  endless 
variety  cannot  be  raised  in  portions  of  Albany  County ;  in  fact, 
results  already  attained  prove  that  it  may  be  done. 

Mining. — See  Mineral  Resources,  this  pamphlet. 

In  conclusion,  it  may  be  said  that  Albany  County  holds  out 
to  the  man  of  small  fortune  much  that  is  alluring.  Here  is  an 
opportunity  to  make  a  comfortable  home  in  a  country  that  is 
prosperous  and  in  a  climate  that  is  unsurpassed  in  all  that 
pertains  to  the  health  of  mankind. 

Albany  County  is  in  the  Cheyenne  United  States  land 
office  district. 


Big  Horn  County. 


Big  Horn  County  was  named  from  the  Big  Horn  or 
Rocky  Mountain  sheep,  which  abound  in  the  Big  Horn  Moun- 
tains, on  the  east  side  of  the  Big  Horn  Basin.  The  county  was 
organized  in  1896.  Bonded  indebtedness  is  $34,000;  tax  levy, 
19  1-3  mills;  total  assessed  valuation,  $3,005,256;  average  ele- 
vation of  agricultural  portion,  4,000  feet. 

It  was  the  last  organized  county  of  the  State,  and  consists 
of  that  portion  of  the  northwestern  corner  known  as  the  Big 
Horn  Basin.  This  is,  in  many  respects,  one  of  the  most  re- 
markable basins  situated  on  either  side  of  the  great  Conti- 
nental Divide.  This  is  true,  whether  we  consider  its  great 
area,  the  lofty  mountains  enclosing  it  on  all  sides  except  the 
north,  its  equable  climate  or  the  fertility  of  its  soils.  On  the 
east  looms  up  the  Big  Horn  Range,  some  of  its  peaks-  rising 
12,000  feet  above  sea  level ;  on  the  west  tower  the  equally  high 
peaks  of  the  Shoshone  Range,  spurs  of  the  great  Continental 
Divide ;  on  the  south  is  the  Owl  Range,  a  spur  of  the  Conti- 
nental Divide  connecting  it  with  the  southern  end  of  the  Big 
Horn  Range.  The  usual  elevation  of  the  divides  connecting 
these  peaks  is  from  9,000  to  10,000  feet  above  the  sea  level. 
Among  these  mountains  are  found  some  of  the  finest  examples 
of  mountain  and  canon  scenery  to  be  found  on  this  continent. 

Passing  centrally  through  this  basin  in  a  northerly  direc- 
tion, its  meanderings  covering  more  than  one  hundred  miles, 
is  the  Big  Horn  River.  Its  entrance  into  the  basin  has  been 


BIG  HORN  COUNTY.  95 

made  in  some  past  convulsion  of  nature,  through  the  Owl 
Range,  by  an  impassable  canon  of  about  four  miles  in  length. 
Its. exit  from  the  basin  to  the  north  has  been  made  by  cutting 
through  the  northerly  end  of  the  Big  Horn  Range  by  a  very 
remarkable  canon  of  about  twenty  miles  in  length,  its  walls 
rising  almost  vertically  1,200  to  1,500  feet  above  the  water. 
Intermediate  between  these  canons  this  river  passes  through 
Sheep  Mountain,  a  secondary  and  detached  range,  by  a  canon 
of  about  three  miles  length,  but  equally  as  interesting  as  the 
other  two.  The  Big  Horn  Range,  west  of  its  lower  canon,  is 
designated  Pryor  Mountain,  which  gradually  recedes  in  height 
until  it  drops  to  the  level  of  the  plain  bordering  Clark's  Fork 
of  the  Yellowstone.  Around  the  base  of  this  mountain  is  the 
natural  outlet  from  the  Big  Horn  Basin. 

Agriculture  and  Stock  Raising. — It  is  within  bounds  to  as- 
sert that  every  square  mile  of  the  area  of  this  county,  except  a 
small  percentage  forming  the  slopes  of  the  high  mountain 
peaks,  can  be  utilized  in  summer  or  winter  for  agriculture  or 
the  grazing  of  stock,  as  proven  by  the  experience  of  ten  years 
with  cattle,  horses  and  sheep.  The  high  mountain  plateaus, 
with  their  intervening  valleys,  up  to  an  elevation  of  10,500  feet, 
in  summer  and  until  covered  with  snow  in  the  fall,  produce 
grass  of  sufficient  fattening  properties  for  summer  feed.  At 
elevations  of  from  7,500  to  10,500  feet  all  stock  keep  fat  for 
four  months  of  the  year. 

This  is  a  large  cattle  raising  county.  From  Cody  last  year 
there  were  shipped  153  cars  of  baled  wool,  372  cars  of  sheep  and 
320  cars  of  cattle. 

Agriculture. — The  greater  part  of  the  irrigable  lands  have 
an  altitude  varying  from  3,400  feet  to  4,400  feet.  Oats  yield 
from  forty  to  eighty  bushels  per  acre,  wheat  thirty  to  sixty, 
rye  twenty-five  to  fifty-five,  barley  forty  to  sixty,  corn  thirty 
to  fifty,  and  is  as  sure  a  crop  as  in  Iowa:  alfalfa  three  to  seven 
tons,  other  grasses  two  to  four  tons  per  acre. 

In  this  county  the  State,  under  the  Carey  Arid  Land  Act, 
has  segregated  400,000  acres  of  land,  which  will  shortly  be 
placed  under  irrigating  ditches,  and  which  will  provide  homes 
for  thousands  of  people.  See  articles,  this  pamphlet,  entitled 
"Lands"  and  the  "Operation  of  the  Carey  Act." 

There  is  no  better  location  in  the  West  than  this  section 
for  a  beet  sugar  factory. 

Within  the  belt  lying  between  5,500  and  6,500  feet  eleva- 
tion timothy  and  redtop  do  exceptionally  well ;  alfalfa  pro- 
duces two  cuttings.  Below  this  belt,  with  ordinary  good  man- 
agement, alfalfa  will  yield  three  good  cuttings.  Its  seed  comes 


96  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

to  full  maturity  and  is  of  good  quality.  It  is  believed  that  in 
no  locality  of  the  world  are  small  grains  of  superior  quality  or 
in  larger  yields  per  acre.  All  the  roots,  such  as  potatoes,  car- 
rots, rutabagas  and  beets  of  all  kinds,  thrive  excellently  well 
up  to  6,500  feet.  It  is  not  uncommon  for  beets  and  rutabagas, 
where  well  cultivated,  to  attain  weights  of  ten  to  fifteen  pounds 
and  be  solid  to  the  core.  Of  melons,  the  cantaloupe  matures 
of  excellent  quality;  so  does  the  watermelon,  though  to  less 
extent.  The  potato  is  a  large  yielder,  and  of  quality  unsur- 
passed anywhere.  Such  garden  vegetables  as  radishes,  let- 
tuce, cauliflower,  beans  and  peas  do  well  at  all  altitudes.  Rad- 
ishes, lettuce,  cauliflower,  beans  and  peas  are  perfection  above 
5,500  feet  altitude,  and  are  of  unsurpassed  quality  and  flavor. 

As  an  instance  of  what  has  been  done,  the  following  ex- 
tracts from  the  third  annual  statement  of  the  Bench  Canal 
Company,  Burlington,  Wyoming,  showing  earnings  as  grown 
in  crops  and  stock  pasturage,  may  be  of  interest : 

Herman  Werbelow,  on  50  acres — 

675  Bu.  oats  @  5oc $  337-5° 

465  Bu.  wheat 232.50 

80  Bu.  potatoes  @  6oc 48.00 

100  Bu.  corn 50.00 

Garden 100.00 

40  Acres  fall  pasture 40.00 

230  Bu.  rye  @  5oc 115.00 — $    923.00 

Fritz  Moeller,  on  150  acres — 

1900  Bu.  oats  @  5oc $  950.00 

350  Bu.  wheat  @  5oc i/S-oo 

70  Lbs.  alfalfa  seed  @  I2C 8.40 

30  Tons  hay  @  $4.00 120.00 

Garden 50.00 

50  Bu.  potatoes  @  6oc 30.00 

100  Acres  fall  pasture 100.00 — $1,433.40 

G.  K.  Baker,  on  160  acres — 

150  Tons  hay  @  $4.00 $  600.00 

600  Bu.  oats  @  5oc 300.00 

100  Bu.  wheat  @  5oc 50.00 

150  Bu.  barley  @  6oc 90.00 

2  Tons  sugar  beets 40.00 

150  Bu.  potatoes  @  6oc. 90.00 

2000  Lbs.  alfalfa  seed  @  i2c 240.00 

Garden 100.00 

160  Acres  fall  pasture 160.00 — $1,670.00 


BIG  HORN  COUNTY.  97 

Friedrich  Mayland,  on  160  acres — 

2200  Bu.  oats  @  500 $1,100.00 

200  Bu.  wheat  @  500 100.00 

65  Bu.  barley  @  6oc 39.00 

loo  Bu.  potatoes  @  6oc 600.00 

75  Tons  hay  @  $4.00 300.00 

Garden 50.00 

100  Acres  fall  pasture 100.00 — $2,289.00 

W.  H.  Packard,  on  240  acres — 

75  Tons  of  hay  @  $4.00 $  300.00 

1000  Bu.  oats  @  5oc 500.00 

250  Bu.  wheat  @  SOG 125.00 

Garden 700.00 

240  Acres  fall  pasture 240.00 

5000  Lbs.  honey  @  loc 500.00 — $2,365.00 

J.  Adam  Preis,  on  160  acres — 

3324  Bu.  oats  and  wheat  @  5oc.  ......  .$1,662.00 

no  Bu.  barley  @  6oc 66.60 

loo  Tons  hay  @  $4.00 400.00 

200  Bu.  potatoes  @  6oc 120.00 

Garden 100.00 

160  Acres  fall  pasture 160.00 — $2,508.60 

William  Peper,  on  80  acres — 

1 160  Bu.  oats  @  SOG $  580.00 

70  Bu.  wheat  @  5oc 35-OO 

70  Bu.  barley  @  6oc 42.00 

75  Bu.  corn  @  SQC 37.50 

50  Bu.  potatoes  @  6oc 30.00 

Garden 50.00 

80  Acres  pasture 80.00 — $    854.50 

W.  A.  Shoemaker,  on   160  acres — 

150  Tons  hay  @  $4.00 $  600.00 

1 100  Bu.  oats  @  SOG 550.00 

500  Bu.  wheat  @  5oc 250.00 

loo  Bu.  potatoes  @  6oc 60.00 

2000  Lbs.  alfalfa  seed  @  I2C 240.00 

Garden 50.00 

160  Acres  pasture 160.00 — $1,910.00 

V.  G.  Lantry,  on  160  acres — 

800  Bu.  oats  @  5oc $  400.00 

200  Tons  hay  @  $4.00 800.00 

160  Acres  fall  pasture 160.00 — $1,360.00 


98  THE  STATE:  OF  WYOMING. 

Joseph  Hany,  on  50  acres — 

250  Bu.  oats  @  500.  . $  125.00 

430  Bu.  wheat  @  500 215.00 

20  Tons  hay  @  $4.00. 80.00 

150  Bu.  potatoes  @  6oc 90.00 

Garden 25.00 

50  Acres  fall  pasture  . 50.00 

2  Tons  beets 40.00 — $    625.00 

J.  S.  Nicholson,  on  80  acres — 

1350  Bu.  oats  @  5oc $  675.00 

loo  Bu.  wheat  @  5oc 50.00 

40  Bu.  barley  @  6oc 24.00 

18  Tons  hay  @  $4.00 72.00 

40  Acres  fall  pasture 40.00 — $    861.00 

Orin  Perry,  on  20  acres — 

150  Bu.  oats  @  5oc $      75.00 

150  Bu.  potatoes  @  6oc 90.00 

Garden 200.00 

20  Acres  pasture  .  . 20.00 

8000  Lbs.  honey  @  loc.  .  .  . , 800.00 — $1.185.00 

J.  W.  Bell,  on  160  acres — 

3204  Bu.  oats  @  5oc $1,602.00 

365  Bu.  wheat  @  5oc 182.50 

100  Bu.  barley  @  6oc 60.00 

300  Bu.  potatoes  @  6oc.  . . 180.00 

Garden •.  .  .  50.00 

30  Acres  fall  pasture 30.00 — $2.104.50 

Horticulture. — All  the  small  fruits,  such  as  raspberries, 
currants,  strawberries  and  gooseberries,  grow  wild,  and  tame 
varieties  do  well.  Apple  and  peach  trees  of  two  years'  growth 
promise  success. 

Irrigation. — In  addition  to  the  large  volume  of  water  de- 
livered by  the  Big  Horn  River,  running  centrally  through  the 
county,  its  large  and  numerous  tributaries  furnish  a  super- 
abundance of  water  for  irrigating  large  bodies  of  land  that  can 
be  gotten  under  ditch.  From  the  east  flow  Kirby,  No  Wood 
and  Shell  Creeks;  from  the  west  comes  Owl  Creek  and  its 
much  larger  tributaries  of  Grey  Bull  and  Wood  River :  then 
the  two  forks  of  the  Shoshone  River.  ?»nd  still  farther  to  the 
north  the  Clark's  Fork  of  the  Yellowstone. 

Minerals. — In  minerals  the  prospect  is  no  less  flattering. 
Beds  of  coal  of  good  quality  outcrop  in  many  parts  of  the 


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BIG  HORN  COUNTY.  99 

county.  On  the  east  side  are  immense  masses  of  gypsum, 
which  also  outcrops  on  the  west  side,  near  Cody.  It  is  be- 
lieved that  large  masses  of  iron  ore  exist  in  a  locality  acces- 
sible to  a  railroad  when  the  railway  system  projected  through 
the  county  is  completed.  In  the  rim  of  mountains  enclosing 
this  basin  prospects  indicate  many  valuable  mines  of  gold  and 
silver.  On  the  head  of  Grey  Bull  River  the  Gold  Reef  Mining 
Company  is  boring  a  tunnel  (now  about  600  feet  in  length) 
towards  a  wide  lead  of  gold  bearing  rock.  On  the  head  of 
Wood  River  are  many  leads  of  low  grade  silver  ore,  and  some 
gold  bearing  rock.  A  well  known  Bald  Mountain  mine,  on 
the  west  side,  lies  partly  in  this  county.  Farther  to  the  north 
the  Sunlight  mines  are  located,  on  Clark's  Fork.  All  these 
mines  would  become  valuable  properties,  where  there  are  ade- 
quate railroad  facilities. 

In  this  county  are  situated  the  cities  of  Cody,  Meeteetse, 
Garland,  Basin,  Byron,  Cowley,  Lovell,  Burlington,  Germania, 
Otto  and  Bonanza.  At  Bonanza  there  has  recently  been  discov- 
ered lubricating  and  illuminating  oil,  and  it  promises  to  develop 
into  a  very  rich  oil  district.  There  are  business  opportunities 
in  all  of  these  towns.  At  Cody  there  is  a  splendid  opening  for 
either  a  State  or  National  bank ;  at  Burlington,  an  opening 
for  a  harness  or  hardware  store  and  a.  bank ;  at  Garland,  an 
opening  for  a  drug  store ;  there  is  an  opening  at  either  Lovell, 
Cowley  or  Byron  for  a  good  flouring  mill  and  beet  sugar  fac- 
tory. 

From  Cody  tally-ho  stages  will  run  to  Mammoth  Hot 
Springs,  in  the  Yellowstone  National  Park,  a  distance  of  fifty 
miles,  through  scenery  which  is  not  equalled  in  the  Alps.  See 
article,  this  pamphlet,  entitled  "Yellowstone  National  Park." 

Big  Horn  Hot  Springs. — These  springs  were  ceded  to  the 
State  in  1897,  together  with  ten  miles  square  of  land  from  the 
Shoshone  Indian  Reservation,  and  are  located  on  the  Big  Horn 
River, -just  opposite  Thermopolis,  about  fifty-four  miles  in  a 
northerly  direction  from  the  center  of  the  State.  The  main 
spring  is  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  about  500  feet  back  from 
the  bank  of  the  stream,  and  comes  to  the  surface  at  the  foot  of 
.Monument  Hill,  which  rises  about  250  feet  above  the  spring. 
The  surface  of  the  spring  is  about  forty-five  feet  above  the 
river.  The  stream  running  from  the  spring  to  the  river  is 
about  seven  feet  wide  and  two  and  seven-tenths  feet  deep, 
and  carries  about  18,600,000  gallons  of  water  every  twenty-four 
hours.  The  temperature  of  the  spring  is  135°  F.  The  spring 
is  situated  on  the  east  side  of  a  slightly  sloping  plateau,  which 
contains  about  ten  acres  of  land,  which  is  covered  by  a  heavy 


IOO 


THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 


coating  of  alkaline  salts  and  sodium,  which  have  been  deposited 
by  the  hot  mineral  waters  spreading  over  the  surface.  This 
coating  is  from  ten  to  forty  feet  thick,  and  is  naturally  of  a 
pure  white  color.  There  are  many  terraces  on  the  edge  of  the 
formation,  making  a  very  picturesque  appearance.  There  are 
many  traces  of  volcanic  action  to  be  seen  surrounding  the 
springs  and  formation  on  the  east,  north  and  west  sides. 
These  springs  equal,  in  every  respect,  the  famous  European 
springs  of  Carlsbad  and  Aix-la-Chapelle,  or  the  Arkansas 
springs,  and  are  equal  in  curative  properties  to  the  Saratoga 
Hot  Springs.  (See  Frontispiece.) 

Analysis  of  Water. 
Grams  per  Liter.     Grains  per  Gallon. 


Silica 0855 

Iron  and  alumina 0039 

Lithia Trace 

Potash 1109 

Soda 3515 

Lime 4813 

Magnesia mi 

Hydrochloric  acid  .  .   .3550 

Sulphuric  acid 5008 

Carbonic  acid .5052 

(Less  oxygen  equiva- 
lent of  chlorine)..  .  (.0806) 


4.987 

.227 

Trace 

6.467 
20.468 
28.067 

6.478 
20.749 
29.205 
17.798 

(4-665) 


Total  solids  .  .  .  .2.2260 

Calculated  as  Salts. 

Grams  per  Liter. 

Silica 0855 

Iron  and  alumina 0039 

Potassium  chloride.  .   .1756 

Sodium  sulphate 2591 

Sodium  chloride 4492 

Magnesium  sulphate.  .3334 
Calcium  sulphate  .  .  .  .2256 
Calcium  carbonate  .  .  .6937 


129.811 


Grams  per  Gallon. 

4.986 

.227 

10.240 

15.110 

26.195 

19-443 
I3-I56 
40.454 


Total  solids  .     .  .2.2260 


129.811 


The  United  States  land  office  for  this  county  is  at  Lander, 
except  for  a  few  townships  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  county, 
which  are  in  the  Buffalo  land  office  district. 


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CARBON  COUNTY.  101 


Carbon  County. 


Carbon  County  was  organized  in  1870  and  was  named  from 
the  immense  coal  deposits  which  underlie  the  county.  It  has 
an  area  of  11,061  square  miles,  is  noted  for  its  vast  herds  of 
sheep,  its  fine  cattle  and,  above  all,  its  rich  coal  and  mineral  de- 
posits. It  is  the  richest  county  in  mineral  resources  and  stands 
second  to  none  in  its  stock  raising.  The  total  number  of  acres 
listed  for  taxation  is  1,218,353,  and  the  valuation  of  all  real  estate 
in  the  county,  including  town  lots,  is  $2,238,240;  bonded  indebt- 
edness^ $129,200;  tax  levy,  17  1-3  mills;  the  total  value  of  as- 
sessable property  in  the  county,  $5,534,731. 

Rawlins  is  on  the  Union  Pacific  railroad,  and  is  the  county 
seat  of  Carbon  County.  Altitude,  about  7,000  feet.  It  has  a 
population  of  about  2,500;  has  roundhouses  and  extensive  ma- 
chine shops.  It  is  a  distributing  point  for  an  outlying  country, 
both  north  and  south  of  the  railroad.  Daily  and  tri-weekly 
stages  leave  here  for  points  north  and  south.  The  new  State 
penitentiary,  costing  $100,000,  is  located  here,  and  also  a  sub- 
stantial stone  court  house  and  a  fine  public  school  building,  which 
cost,  respectively,  $50,000  and  $35,000.  Here  are  located  and 
operated  fine  building  stone  quarries,  the  Rawlins  sandstone 
being  shipped  out  of  the  State  both  east  and  west.  The  beautiful 
new  Government  building  at  Cheyenne  was  built  of  this  stone 
last  year,  as  was  the  State  Capitol  about  fifteen  years  ago.  Here 
also  are  located  the  great  mineral  red  paint  mines  (known  as 
Rawlins  Red),  from  which  the  paint  for  the  Brooklyn  bridge 
was  originally  procured.  This  ore  is  shipped  to  Denver  and  much 
used  by  the  smelters  as  a  flux.  The  city  is  also  the  supply  point 
for  and  the  headquarters  of  a  vast  sheep  and  wool  industry. 

Saratoga,  a  beautiful  town  of  1,000  inhabitants,  is  situated 
twenty-three  miles  south  of  the  Union  Pacific  railroad,  in  the 
heart  of  the  great  Platte  Valley,  and  is  the  gateway  to  the  re- 
nowned Grand  Encampment  mining  district,  and  is  noted  for 
its  medicinal  hot  springs.  The  temperature  of  the  water  is  135 
degres  Fahrenheit.  From  their  chemical  analysis,  we  would  say 
that  these  springs  were  alkaline-sulphur,  in  combination  with 
salines  and  calcereous  salts.  They  closely  resemble  in  their 
different  properties  the  famous  European  springs  of  Carlsbad, 
Marienbad,  Ems,  Teplitz  and  Aix-la-Chapelle. 

Their  properties  may  be  summed  up  as  stimulating,  absorp- 
tive, alterative  and  reconstructive,  and  clinical  results  have  proven 


102  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

all  the  claims  made  for  them  by  their  chemical  analysis.  It  is 
difficult  to  state  what  diseases  are  most  bnefited  by  a  course  of 
baths  at  these  thermal  waters.  Among  the  list  of  those  maladies 
which  have  been  relieved  at  the  springs  may  be  mentioned  all  as 
acute,  sub-acute  and  chronic  diseases  of  all  mucus  membranes, 
such  as  catarrh  of  the  nasal  passages,  the  mouth  and  pharynx,  the 
throat,  bronchial  tubes,  the  stomach  and  the  whole  alimentary 
canal :  dyspepsia,  due  to  hyperacidity  of  the  stomach  and  gastric 
ulcers ;  congestion  of  the  liver,  due  to  catarrh  of  the  bile  ducts 
and  a  sluggish  portal  circulation,  and  beginning  cirrhosis,  acute 
and  chronic  catarrh  of  the  whole  genito-urinary  tract.  The  water 
acts  not  only  by  its  chemical  ingredients  in  these  instances,  but 
also  mechanically  as  a  sluice  upon  the  system.  It  is  well,  there- 
fore, for  patients  to  drink  it  liberally.  The  water  has  undoubted 
beneficial  influence  upon  gravel,  lithiasis  and  the  uric  acid 
diathesis. 

By  its  thermal  properties  this  water  has  an  antiphlogistic 
effect  upon  all  the  pelvic  organs.  It  allays  congestion  and  mod- 
ifies inflammation.  It  decidedly  increases  tissue  metamorphosis, 
and  in  this  way  helps  to  eliminate  poisons  and  impurities  from 
the  system.  This  explains  its  rapid  action  as  an  absorptive  and 
alterative.  It  certainly  acts  soothingly  upon  the  brain  and  the 
great  nerve  centers,  and  upon  the  general  nervous  system,  allay- 
ing nervous  irritability  and  neuralgias,  and  relieves  those  forms 
of  paralysis  due  to  peripheral  changes,  and  in  a  great  many  in- 
stances probably  by  absorbing  exudations  upon  the  nerve  sheaths. 

Its  alterative  properties  are  most  notably  shown  in  cases 
of  rheumatism,  some  forms  of  gout  and  specific  venereal  diseases. 
Rheumatism,  more  especially  the  acute  and  chronic  articular 
variety,  is  speedily  relieved.  The  muscular  form  yields  readily, 
and  rapid  absorption  of  cartilaginous  and  bony  substances  follows 
a  course  at  the  springs  in  that  most  dreaded  form  of  all  rheu- 
matoid afflictions,  the  arthritis  deformans. 

In  the  treatment  of  all  the  disorders  which  have  rendered 
the  Hot  Springs  of  Arkansas  and  the  springs  of  Aix-la-Chapelle, 
France,  famous,  the  Saratoga  springs  are  fully  equal,  if  not 
superior.  The  great  amount  of  carbonate  of  lime  and  other 
earthy  salts  make  the  Saratoga  waters  the  remedy  par  excellence 
for  rachitic  and  osteomalicious  patients  by  acting  as  a  recon- 
structive agent  and  an  upbuilder  of  tissues  and  bone  formation. 


CARBON  COUNTY.  103 

Analysis  of  the  Water. 

Grains  per  U.  S.  Gal.     Pts.  per  100,000. 

Sodium  chloride 58.0807  89.3322 

Sodium  sulphate 10.2510  17.5832 

Potassium  sulphate 10.4603  17.9422 

Calcium  sulphate 21.0410  36.0909 

Calcium  carbonate 4433  .7604 

Magnesium  carbonate 1.2782  2.1924 

Silica.. 37195  6-3799 

Iron  and  aluminum  (oxides) 1108  .1900 

99.3848  170.4712 

Sanitary  analysis  showing  that  this  water  is  entirely  free 
from  every  kind  of  contamination : 

Grains  per  U.  S.  Gal.     Pts.  per  100,000. 

Chlorine  in  chlorides 31.5600  54.1338 

Equivalent  to  sodium  chloride 52.0807  89.3322 

Phosphates  as  P2  05 None  None 

Nitrogen  in  nitrites None  None 

Nitrogen  in  nitrates None  None 

Free  ammonia 0023  .0040 

Albumoid  ammonia 0022  .0038 

Total  nitrogen 0037  .0064 

Hardness  equiv.  to  carb.  lime,  before 

boiling 15-8503  27.1875 

Hardness  equiv.  to  carb.  of  lime,  af- 
ter boiling 15-8503  27.1875 

Organic  and  volatile  (loss  on  igni- 
tion)  -..  3.4688  5-9500 

Mineral  matter  (non  volatile)  CO2 
restored  with  ammonium  car- 
bonate    99.1975  170.1500 

Total  solids  (by  evaporation)  dried 

at  110°  C 102.6663  176.1000 

These  waters  when  bottled  are  unsurpassed  by  any  in  the 
United  States  for  drinking  purposes,  for  they  are  not  only  pure 
and  as  pleasant  as  the  Manitou  or  Idaho  waters,  but  have  the 
advantage  also  of  the  medicinal  qualities  so  beneficial  to  the  stom- 
ach and  kidneys. 

The  North  Platte  River,  in  which  are  three  wooded  islands, 
runs  through  the  city.  It  is  an  ideal  place  for  a  summer  re- 
sort and  sanitarium.  The  Sierra  Madre  Mountains  on  the  west 
and  south,  and  the  Medicine  Bow  Range  on  the  east,  are  each 
within  two  or  three  hours'  drive,  and  present  a  beautiful  view 


IO4  THE;  STATE;  OF  WYOMING. 

at  all  times.  The  trout  fishing  in  the  river  and  the  mountain 
streams  is  unsurpassed.  The  summers  are  delightfully  cool, 
there  being  no  night  when  a  blanket  is  not  needed.  With  the 
completion  of  the  Union  Pacific's  proposed  connection,  thou- 
sands who  are  in  search  of  pleasure,  health  and  business  will 
yearly  be  attracted  to  this  section.  There  is  an  old  saying,  "See 
Rome  and  die,"  but  the  legend  of  the  West  is,  "See  Saratoga 
and  live." 

By  reason  of  the  destruction  of  the  Hot  Springs  Hotel  and 
bath  house  by  fire,  a  new  large,  modern  hotel  and  bath  facil- 
ities are  needed.  This  presents  one  of  the  best  opportunities 
for  investment  in  the  West. 

Encampment  is  a  town  of  recent  origin,  brought  forth  by 
the  prospects  of  the  new  gold  and  copper  mines  opened  in  the 
Grand  Encampment  district,  and  has  a  population  of  about 
1,000.  It  has  a  smelter,  concentratng  works  and  tramway  to  the 
top  of  the  Rockies  for  conducting  the  ore.  It  is  situated  on  the 
Grand  Encampment  River,  twenty  miles  south  of  Saratoga.  See 
article  on  Mineral  Resources. 

Schools. — The  county  has  a  good  public  school  system. 
The  number  of  schools  is  thirty-nine  and  the  number  of  children 
of  school  age  is  1,500. 

Live  Stock. — One  of  the  chief  industries  of  the  county  is 
its  live  stock  interests.  Of  sheep  there  were,  for  the  year  1903, 
437754,  valued  at  $828,432;  of  cattle,  28,345,  valued  at  $393,- 
432;  of  horses  and  mules,  6,405,  valued  at  $160,428. 

Agriculture. — This  industry  has  for  many  years  been  an 
important  one,  continually  on  the  increase,  and  has  assumed 
large  proportions  in  the  Upper  Platte  Valley  country  and  on  the 
tributaries  of  the  North  Platte  River.  Wheat,  oats  and  barley 
are  raised  in  large  quantities  and  command  a  ready  price  for 
home  consumption.  The  wheat  is  a  very  fine,  plump  grain,  mak- 
ing it  the  very  best  of  flour.  The  oats  are  of  a  superior  quality, 
and  run  from  forty-five  to  fifty  pounds  to  the  bushel.  All  of 
these  crops  yield  abundantly.  Hay  is  an  important  crop,  and 
the  yield  per  acre  is  always  satisfactory.  Timothy  and  redtop 
grow  luxuriantly,  but  the  native  hay,  of  which  there  is  a  large 
quantity  raised,  is  much  in  favor.  Alfalfa  or  lucerne  is  a  prime 
favorite,  and  there  is  a  large  acreage  devoted  to  the  production 
of  that  crop.  It  yields  from  three  to  four  tons  per  acre,  each 
year,  of  a  very  superior  quality,  much  esteemed  by  the  stockmen 
for  its  fat-producing  qualities.  All  kinds  of  vegetables  and 
small  fruits  grow  abundantly,  and  the  entire  home  market  is 
supplied  by  home  production.  All  farming  is  by  irrigation. 


CONVERSE  COUNTY.  105 

There  are  still  many  thousand  acres  of  upland,  on  either  side  of 
the  Platte  River,  that  are  open  to  settlement,  and  this  stream  fur- 
nishes water  for  an  almost  unlimited  acreage.  The  feeding  of 
cattle  and  sheep  for  spring  market  is  largely  engaged  in  by  the 
inhabitants  of  this  county,  who  annually  ship  large  numbers  of 
sheep  and  fat  beeves  to  Eastern  markets,  commanding  the  high- 
est market  prices. 

Mining. — See  article  on  Mining  Resources. 

Climate. — The  climate  of  Carbon  County  is  beautiful,  brac- 
ing and  invigorating,  mild  and  pleasant  during  the  summer 
months  and  not  severely  cold  or  uncomfortable  in  the  winter. 
It  is  peculiarly  suited  to  the  building  up  of  weak  lungs,  and  is 
conducive  to  health  and  longevity. 

Water  and  Timber. — Carbon  County  is  well  watered  by 
mountain  streams,  the  North  Platte  River  flowmg'  the  entire 
length  of  the  county  from  south  to  north.  Nearly  every  portion 
is  abundantly  supplied  with  water  for  irrigation  purposes.  The 
numerous  mountain  ranges  in  the  county  are  covered  with  an 
excellent  quality  of  pine  timber  suitable  for  building  purposes 
and  for  the  manufacture  of  lumber,  as  well  as  for  fuel. 

Game  and  Fish. — Carbon  County  streams,  while  originally 
barren  of  trout,  have  been  well  stocked  with  every  variety  of  that 
kind  of  fish,  and  are  today  the  finest  trout  streams  to  be  found 
anywhere.  Trout  weighing  from  ten  to  twelve  pounds  are  fre- 
quently taken  from  the  North  Platte  River,  and  every  stream 
swarms  with  the  finny  tribe.  Game  of  all  kinds,  including  bear, 
elk  and  deer,  are  to  be  found  in  the  mountain  ranges  and  tim- 
ber; sage  hens  and  grouse  inhabit  the  plains  and  mountains. 
and  the  streams  and  lakes  are  well  supplied  with  ducks  and 
geese. 

This  county  is  in  the  Cheyenne  United  States  land  office 
district. 


Converse  County. 


This  county  was  organized  in  1888  and  named  after  A.  R. 
Converse,  a  pioneer  cattleman,  who  had  large  interests  in  that 
section.  It  has  a  population  of  3,337  and  an  area  of  7,000  square 
miles.  The  North  Platte  River,  with  its  many  tributaries,  flows 
through  the  central  portion  of  the  county,  affording  a  bountiful 


106  THE  STATS  OF  WYOMING. 

water  supply  for  thousands  of  acres  of  land  which  have  been 
brought  under  cultivation,  and  its  wide  plains  are  among  the  best 
pasture  lands  of  the  State.  The  Chicago  and  Northwestern 
branch  railroad  traverses  its  entire  length  from  east  to  west, .and 
the  Colorado  and  Southern  railroad  gives  an  outlet  to  the  south. 
The  fotal  assessed  valuation  of  the  county  in  1903  was  given  as 
$2,642,427;  the  county  bonded  indebtedness,  $36,900;  rate- of 
taxation,  18  mills. 

Until  a  very  late  date,  the  tract  of  country  known  as  Con- 
verse County  was  given  up  to  stock  growing.  Today  there  are 
thousands  of  acres  of  land  under  cultivation.  Most  of  the  .cul- 
tivated acreage  can  be  classed  as  bottom  or  low  land,  bordering 
upon  streams,  although  in  the  southeastern  portion  lands  are 
producing  good  crops  of  corn,  wheat  and  oats  without  irrigation. 
The  principal  crop  in  small  grain  is  oats.  With  irrigation,  oats 
have  reached  the  enormous  yield  of  eighty  bushels  to  the  acre, 
with  a  stool  of  six  feet.  Wheat  will  yield  fifteen  bushels  on  sod 
and  twenty  bushels  on  old  ground.  Rye  and  barley  produce 
twenty  bushels  to  the  acre.  Tame  grasses — timothy,  clover  and 
millet — reach  a  luxuriant  growth.  Alfalfa  does  well  without 
irrigation,  but  when  placed  under  ditch,  affords  two  and  three 
full  crops  per  year.  Corn  makes  a  good  crop  in  the  eastern  end 
of  the  county.  Vegetables,  under  irrigation  and  in  the  bottom 
lands  adjacent  to  streams,  attain  a  growth  equal  to  California's 
famous  products.  Potatoes  yield  several  hundred  bushels  to  the 
acre.  Pumpkins  and  squashes  reach  a  weight  of  100  and  even 
1 60  pounds;  cabbage,  twenty-three  pounds;  turnips,  twelve  to 
fifteen  pounds,  and  other  vegetables  in  like  proportion. 

Converse  County's  chief  mineral  resources  are  coal,  iron 
and  copper.  The  finest  coal  found  west  of  the  Missouri  River 
is  in  the  Shawnee  Basin,  fifty  miles  west  of  the  Nebraska  State 
line.  Near  Douglas  is  found  a  superior  article  of  lignite,  unsur- 
passed as  a  stove  coal  and  a  good  steam  fuel,  but  the  vein  is  only 
two  and  one-half  feet  thick.  At  Inez,  sixteen  miles  west  of 
Douglas,  the  vein  is  seven  feet  thick,  with  a  sandstone  roof.  At 
Glenrock,  twenty  miles  further  west,  the  vein  is  about  six  feet 
thick,  with  a  sandstone  roof.  A  new  mine  has  just  been  opened 
at  Big  Muddy,  near  Glenrock.  Coal  "crops  out"  in  greater  or 
less  veins  in  a  hundred  localities  throughout  .the  western  portion 
of  the  county,  and  particularly  in  the  northwestern  portion.  As- 
says of  $68  in  silver  and  gold,  $240  in  "horn"  silver,  and  forty  to 
fifty  per  cent,  in  copper  have  been  obtained  from  prospect  holes 
all  along  the  Laramie  Range  in  this  county,  and  particularly 
from  Spring  Canon,  some  fifteen  miles  south  of  Douglas.  Lime- 
stone is  found  in  abundance,  and  quarries  of  a  superior  quality 
of  sandstone  have  been  located.  Marble  equal  in  grain  and  vari- 


CROOK  COUNTY.  107;. 

ety  and  beautiful  color  to  the  best  has  been  discovered  in  several 
localities,  while  gypsum,  from  which  is  made  the  plaster  of  parts 
of  commerce,  exists  in  inexhaustible  quantities.  Large  deposits 
of  mica,  glass  sand  and  potters'  clay  have  also  been  located,. 

Plenty  of  timber  grows  in  the  mountains  and  foothills,  prin- 
cipally pine  and  spruce,  and  native  lumber  is  supplied  at  rea- 
sonable prices.  There  is  plenty  of  good  land  in  the  county  sub- 
ject to  location,  but  it  is  being  rapidly  taken  up.  Lubricating  oil 
is  found  in  different  portions  of  the  county.  Capital  is  at  pres- 
ent engaged  in  developing  this  industry. 

Douglas,  the  county  seat,  is  located  on  the  North  Platte 
River  and  on  the  line  of  the  Fremont,  Elkhorn  and  Missouri 
Valley  railroad,  and  has  a  population  of  about  1,000.  The  town 
is  quite  prosperous,  being  the  center  of  a  large  and  growing 
trade.  The  high  prices  received  for  cattle,  sheep,  wool  and  all 
farm  products  add  greatly  to  its  present  prosperty.  Its  numerous 
business  places,  substantial  dwellings,  well  graded  streets,  side- 
walks, waterworks  and  other  improvements  attest  the  prosperity 
of  the  place.  Its  bonded  indebtedness  is  $17,000. 

There  are  large  oil  fields  within  a  short  distance  of  Douglas, 
and  gas  was  recently  struck  in  commercial  quantities  within 
eight  miles  of  the  town.  See  article,  this  pamphlet,  on  Oil. 

There  are  gold  and  copper  mines  south  of  Douglas. 

<  'ther  towns  of  importance  are  Glenrock,  Lusk  and  Man- 
ville.  the  former  a  coal  mining  town  of  about  600  population,  and 
the  two  latter  towns  to  which  agricultural  and  stock  raising  dis- 
tricts are  tributary. 

The  United  States  land  office  for  this  county  is  at  Douglas. 


Crook  County. 


Crook  County  was  organized  in  1875,  am-l  was  named  after 
General  George  Crook,  the  noted  Indian  fighter. 

This  county  is  situated  on  the  northeastern  corner  of  the 
State.  It  is  1 02  miles  long  by  sixty  wide,  and  has  an  area  of 
6,120  square  miles.  Lands  assessed,  194,697  acres;  total  as- 
.  value  of  all  property,  $2,171,510;  tax  levy,  22  1-3  mills; 
bonded  indebtedness,  $51,500;  number  of  schools,  45;  number 
of  school  children,  902;  population,  3,137.  The  county  is 
by  the  Burlington  railroad. 


io8  THE;  STATE;  OF  WYOMING. 

County  Seat. — The  county  seat  and  principal  town  is  Sun- 
dance, with  a  population  of  about  500,  situated  at  the  foot  of 
Sundance  Mountain,  on  the  banks  of  Sundance  Creek,  a  beau- 
tiful mountain  stream,  and  in  the  center  of  a  fertile  district- 
The  city  owns  its  system  of  waterworks,  substantial  city  hall,, 
fire  apparatus,  etc.  Merchandising  in  all  its  branches,  banking 
and  commercial  interests  are  well  represented.  The  municipal 
bonded  indebtedness  is  $14,725,  at  six  per  cent,  interest. 

Altitude  and  Climate. — The  altitude  of  Crook  County  av- 
erages about  4,000  feet  above  sea  level ;  the  air  is  dry,  bracing; 
and  healthful,  with  a  mean  annual  temperature  of  41.1  degrees. 
The  yearly  precipitation  averages  twenty-four  inches.  Agri- 
cultural products  are  grown  throughout  the  county  without 
irrigation. 

Agriculture. — Agricultural  pursuits  claim  the  attention  of 
many  of  the  citizens  of  the  county,  and  wheat,  oats,  rye,  corn 
and  every  variety  of  garden  vegetabels  are  raised  with  profit,, 
in  many  instances  both  the  yield  and  the  quality  of  the  product 
being  worthy  of  particular  mention.  Wild  fruits  of  the  smaller 
varieties  are  especially  abundant,  and  considerable  progress  has 
already  been  made  in  the  cultivation  of  the  tame  varieties. 
The  soil  throughout  the  county  is  a  dark  rich  loam  of  great 
fertility,  and  the  fact  that  crops  can  be  raised  without  irriga- 
tion facilitates  agricultural  pursuits.  Wheat  yields  twenty 
bushels,  oats  thirty  bushels,  rye  thirty  bushels,  corn  twenty- 
five  bushels,  potatoes  100  bushels  per  acre ;  alfalfa,  two  cut- 
tings, three  tons  per  acre  each  cutting ;  millet  four  tons,  tim- 
othy two  tons.  Apples  do  well,  as  do  all  kinds  of  small  fruits. 

This  is  the  only  county  in  the  State  where  agricultural 
crops  are  generally  raised  without  irrigation,  and  this  is  very 
fortunately  so,  as  there  are  but  few  streams  of  sufficient  size 
and  fall  to  furnish  sufficient  water  for  irrigation  purposes. 

This  county  is  very  much  in  need  of  railroad  connections. 
A  branch  line  from  the  Burlington  would  add  greatly  to  the 
deevlopment  of  the  county. 

Live  Stock. — In  connection  with  agricultural  pursuits,  all 
kinds  of  live  stock  are  raised  extensively.  The  present  return 
for  assessment  shows  1,700  neat  cattle,  7,935  horses  and  81,546 
sheep,  with  a  total  live  stock  valuation  of  $1,029,306. 

Mining. — Gold,  silver,  tin,  copper,  lead  and  manganese 
have  been  found 'in  considerable  quantities,  and  extensive  fields 
of  a  good  quality  of  semi-bituminous  coal  are  being  developed. 
Much  of  the  future  wealth  of  Crook  County  will  undoubtedly 
come  from  the  development  of  the  coal  fields  of  that  locality. 


Photo  by  Stimson. 

THE  DEVIL'S  TOWER,  CROOK  COUNTY. 


O 
to 

<*1 

Q 

§ 


FREMONT  COUNTY.  109 

Quite  extensive  gold  placer  mining  operations  have  been  con- 
ducted on  Sand  Creek  and  vicinity,  with  profit  to  the  operators. 
Granite,  porphyry,  limestone  and  other  building  stones  and  fine 
marbles  are  found  in  great  variety  in  abundance.  A  railroad 
has  been  built  from  Belle  Fourche,  South  Dakota,  to  the  Aladdin 
coal  mines,  near  Barrett,  Wyoming,  a  distance  of  eighteen 
miles.  There  are  also  extensive  oil  fields. 

Streams  and  Topography. — The  county  is  traversed  by 
the  Belle  Fourche,  the  Little  Missouri  and  the  Little  Powder 
Rivers.  The  water  of.  the  streams  generally  is  pure  and  suitable 
to  domestic  uses.  Along  these  streams  are  fertile  valleys  of  fine 
farming  lands,  and  between  the  streams  are  found  extensive 
plateaus,  suitable  for  grazing.  Low  ranges  of  mountains,  well 
timbered,  traverse  the  county,  adding  to  the  attractiveness  of  the 
landscape. 

Timber. — The  timber  found  on  these  mountain  ranges  is  a 
heavy  growth  of  spruce  and  pine.  Oak,  ash  and  cottonwood 
trees  also  abound. 

Fishing. — A  branch  of  the  State  Fish  Hatchery  is  located 
in  Crook  County,  not  far  from  Sundance,  and  many  of  the 
streams  of  the  county  furnish  excellent  sport  to  those  who  enjoy 
the  pursuit  of  game  fish. 

Natural  Curiosities. — A  remarkable  formation  known  as 
the  Devil's  Tower,  a  solid  basaltic  column  rising  abruptly  to  a 
height  of  1,300  feet,  and  making  a  landmark  that  can  be  seen 
for  miles  in  every  direction,  is  a  notable  feature  of  the  topography 
of  this  county. 

This  county  is  in  the  Sundance  United  States  land  office 
district. 


Fremont  County. 

Fremont  is  the  west  central  county  of  the  State,  and  has  an 
average  width,  north  and  south,  of  100  miles,  and  a  length,  east 
and  west,  of  125  miles.  It  was  organized  in  1884  and  was 
named  after  General  John  C.  Fremont,  the  noted  pathfinder  and 
first  presidential  candidate  of  the  Republican  party  after  its 
organization. 

The  rate  of  taxation  for  1903  was  22  1-3  mills;  the  number 
of  acres  of  land  in  the  same  year  was  68,444,  while  the  valuation 


no  THE;  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

'of  all   assessable  property  in  the  county  was  $1,946,348.     The 
bonded  debt  of  the  county  is  $32,200. 

There  are  no  railroads  in  the  county,  but  it  is  reached  by 
daily  stage  from  Casper,  on  the  Fremont,  Elkhorn  and  Missouri 
Valley  railroad,  and  Rawlins,  on  the  Union  Pacific  railroad.  The 
mean  annual  temperature  is  42°.  The  approximate  elevation, 
outside  of  the  mountain  ranges,  is  5,000  feet.  It  is  destined  to 
become  a  great  agricultural  district,  though  at  present  farming 
is  engaged  in  only  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  a  local  demand. 
Nearly  a  million  acres  are  susceptible  of  irrigation,  including  the 
land  which  will  be  left  in  the  Shoshone  Indian  Reservation  after 
lands  have  been  allotted  to  all  of  the  Indians.  This  land,  when 
irrigated,  produces  most  excellent  crops  of  wheat,  oats,  alfalfa 
and  other  kinds  of  hay,  every  variety  of  vegetables  and  small 
fruit,  and,  in  the  more  sheltered  parts,  fine  orchards  of  the 
Wealthy  and  other  varieties  of  early  apples  are  yielding  a  crop 
which  is  superior  in  flavor  to  any  apple  seen  in  the  irrigated 
counties.  The  average  crops  per  acre  are :  Wheat,  thirty  to 
forty  bushels ;  oats,  forty  to  sixty  bushels ;  potatoes,  200  bush- 
els ;  alfalfa,  two  to  three  tons  each  cutting,  and  other  grasses, 
about  three  tons  of  hay.  The  yield  of  other  vegetables  is  in  pro- 
portion to  that  reported  for  potatoes. 

The  county  is  famous  for  its  rich  agricultural  lands  and  its 
abundance  of  water  for  irrigation.  It  is  also  noted  for  its  fine 
apple  orchards  and  abundance  of  small  fruits.  The  wool  clip  of 
the  county  for  1903  was  1,200,000  pounds.  There  are  many 
•  small  cattle  ranches  in  the  county,  which  have  been  operated 
successfully  for  many  years.  Wheat  is  grown  in  the  Lander 
Valley,  and  it  has  been  a  profitable  crop  annually  for  the  last 
fifteen  years.  There  are  three  improved  flouring  mills  in  the 
county,  one  located  at  Lander,  another  in  Milford,  the  third  at 
the  Shoshone  Agency.  All  these  mills  turn  out  high  patent  pro- 
cess flour,  and  the  product  is  equal  to  the  best  anywhere.  Oats 
and  all  kinds  of  garden  vegetables  grow  to  perfection.  Alfalfa 
and  timothy  yield  abundantly,  and  native  hay  grasses  abound  ev- 
erywhere. 

There  is  an  abundance  of  timber  for  building  purposes  and 
saw  mills  to  cut  up  the  lumber.  A  fine  quality  of  coal  is  found 
in  inexhaustible  quantities  all  along  the  valley,  which  provides 
a  cheap  fuel  for  domestic  and  steam  purposes.  There  are  a  num- 
ber of  oil  springs  in  the  county,  and  ten  miles  south  of  Lander 
are  thirteen  flowing  wells,  with  a  capacity  of  200  barrels  per  day 
each.  These  wells  are  plugged  at  present,  awaiting  the  advent 
of  a  railroad.  See  article  on  Oil.  White  and  red  sandstone,  for 
building  purposes,  is  found  in  every  part  of  the  county.  Eight 
miles  west  of  Lander  there  is  a  deposit  of  gray  marble,  and  near 


FREMONT  COUNTY.  in 

it  an  abundant  supply  of  granite.  Both  of  these  are  susceptible 
of  a  high  polish. 

The  streams  of  Fremont  County  are  numerous  and  of  a  last- 
ing character.  The  Big  Horn,  Wind  River,  Little  Wind  and  the 
numerous  branches  of  the  Popo  Agie  are  the  fountains  heads  of 
the  Missouri  River.  They  take  their  rise  in  the  Wind  River 
Range,  whose  mountains  are  among  the  loftiest  of  the  Conti- 
nental Divide. 

Fish  abound  in  all  the  streams  of  this  section,  and  trout 
fishing  is  the  pastime  of  many.  There  is  an  abundance  of  elk, 
deer  and  antelope,  and  a  number  of  varieties  of  bear  in  the  Wind 
River  Range  and  Owl  Creek  Mountains,  which  extend  nearly 
the  whole  length  of  the  county. 

Southern  Fremont  County  has  numerous  gold  deposits,  both 
in  placer  and  quartz.  See  "Mineral  Resources,"  this  pamphlet. 

Lander,  the  county  seat,  is  centrally  located,  and  is  sur- 
rounded by  hundreds  of  improved  farms.  The  court  house  is  a 
fine,  large  brick  structure.  The  public  school  building  is  of 
brick  and  contains  nine  large  rooms.  The  school  is  graded,  and 
the  graduates  of  the  high  school  are  admitted  to  the  State  Uni- 
versity. Three  religious  societies  have  church  edifices,  namely, 
Methodist,  Episcopal  and  Catholic.  The  population  is  737.  The 
site  for  the  Agricultural  College  is  located  here. 

The  town  of  Thermopolis  is  situated  on  the  west  side  of  the 
Big  Horn  Hot  Springs  Reservation,  and  contains  about  300  in- 
habitants. This  town  was  started  in  September,  1897,  and  is 
growing  rapidly.  The  Big  Horn  Hot  Springs  are  just  across 
the  river,  in  Big  Horn  County,  and  are  a  source  of  considerable 
revenue  to  the  town.  See  "Big  Horn  County." 

Opening  Indian  Lands  to  Homesteaders. — There  is  half  a 
million  acres  of  unused  land  on  the  Shoshone  Reservation,  which 
can  be  irrigated  at  a  cost  not  to  exceed  two  Collars  per  acre,  and 
unlimited  water  with  which  to  irrigate  it. 

The  Shoshone  or  Wind  River  Indian  Reservation  of  Wyo- 
ming will  soon  be  a  matter  of  history,  and  in  the  constantly  ad- 
vancing movement  of  civilization  a  large  portion  of  its  rich  area 
of  irrigable  land  will  shortly  be  open  to  settlement  by  the  home- 
seeker  and  the  home-maker  of  the  dominating  race. 

The  reservation  contains  2,800,00x3  acres  in  a  body  nearly 
seventy  miles  square,  along  the  valleys  of  the  Wind,  Big  Horn 
and  Popo  Agie  Rivers  and  their  tributaries  in  Fremont  county. 
The  reservation  was  established  in  1868  by  a  treaty  made  at 
Fort  Bridger  with  the  Shoshone  and  Bannock  Indians. 

The  greater  portion  of  the  lands  which  will  be  opened  for 
settlement  is  suitable  only  for  grazing  purposes.  These  lands 


ii2  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

comprise  the  northern  portion  of  the  reservation,  including  the 
Owl  Creek  Range  and  an  extensive  area  of  "bad  lands,"  used  for 
grazing,  extending  from  the  South  Fork  of  Owl  Creek,  which 
forms  the  northern  boundary  of  the  reservation,  to  the  valley  of 
the  Big  Wind  River.  The  valleys  of  the  Big  Wind  River,  the 
Little  Wind  River,  the  Popo  Agie  River  and  many  of  their  trib- 
utaries contain  some  of  the  finest  farming  land  in  the  State.  The 
water  supply  is  ample  to  irrigate  nearly  all  of  the  land  suscep- 
tible of  cultivation,  and  eventually  the  reservation  will  become 
the  garden  spot  of  Wyoming. 

The  United  States  land  office  for  this  county  is  at  Lander, 
except  for  a  few  townships  in  the  southeastern  portion  of  the 
county,  which  are  in  the  Cheyenne  land  office  district. 


Johnson  County. 


Johnson  County  was  organized  in  1879,  and  was  named 
after  E.  P.  Johnson,  a  prominent  attorney  of  Cheyenne.  It  has 
an  area  of  4,046  square  miles.  The  total  assessed  valuation  of 
the  county  in  1903  was  $1,930,851 ;  county  bonded  indebtedness, 
$50,800;  tax  levy,  23%  mills;  the  population  of  the  county, 
2,361.  With  its  rolling  plains,  extensive  forests  and  fertile  val- 
leys, it  is  justly  regarded  as  one  of  the  best  sections  of  the  State. 
The  Big  Horn  Mountains  have  an  elevation  of  14,000  feet,  while 
many  of  the  valleys  are  less  than  4,000  feet  above  the  sea  level. 

The  resources  of  the  county  are  varied.  Stock  raising  is 
the  chief  industry.  The  vast  open  range  and  abundant  streams 
of  pure  water  make  it  a  paradise  for  cattle.  There  are  thou- 
sands of  acres  of  grazing  lands,  and  sufficient  land  can  be  irri- 
gated to  produce  enough  hay,  grain  and  alfalfa  to  make  winter 
feed  for  all  the  live  stock  that  the  range  will  support  in  summer. 
The  county  is  one  of  the  best  watered  counties  in  Wyoming, 
being  well  supplied  with  small  streams  heading  in  the  Big  Horn 
Mountains,  and  flowing  generally  to  the  northeast  and  north- 
west. 

The  northern  part  of  the  county  is  a  good  farming  country 
and  easily  accessible  by  means  of  the  Burlington,  railway.  All 
kinds  of  vegetables  are  successfully  raised;  cabbage,  turnips, 
rutabagas,  lettuce,  parsnips,  cauliflower,  beets,  carrots,  celery, 
broomcorn  and  sorghum  cane  are  all  grown  with  success, 
while  melons  and  small  fruits  of  unequalled  flavor  and  excel- 


CO 

i 

o 

o 

d 


JOHNSON  COUNTY.  113 

lence  are  cultivated.  Yield  of  oats  per  acre  is  forty-five  bushels 
and  upwards ;  potatoes  average  400  bushels ;  alfalfa  produces 
two  crops  per  year,  of  from  four  to  seven  tons  per  acre ;  and 
other  crops  in  proportion. 

There  are  30,000  acres  under  irrigation,  and  200,000  acres 
are  susceptible  of  irrigation  and  only  await  the  advent  of  the  in- 
dustrious settler,  who  can  here  obtain  a  good  home  cheap,  and 
there  are  2,000,000  acres  of  available  grazing  land.  Pasture 
lands  sell  for  $2,  irrigated  from  $15  to  $25.  Prices  of  products 
obtained  by  ranchmen  are  as  follows :  Alfalfa,  $3.50;  timothy, 
$6;  bluestem,  native,  $8  per  ton;  oats,  $1.25  per  cwt. ;  wheat 
and  potatoes,  $L  per  cwt.  There  is  a  large  supply  of  pine  timber 
taken  from  the  mountains,  which  is  well  suited  for  building  pur- 
poses. Along  the  streams  are  thrifty  groves  of  cottonwood,  and 
experiments  have  shown  that  timber  of  various  kinds  can  be  as 
successfully  grown  here  as  in  the  prairie  States  of  Kansas  and 
Nebraska. 

Minerals  are  yet  undeveloped,  but  valuable  prospects  in 
gold,  silver  and  copper  are  found  in  the  Big  Horn  Mountains. 
Oil  is  found  in  large  quantities,  but  because  of  a  lack  of  trans- 
portation facilities  is  not  worked. 

This  county  is,  without  doubt,  one  of  the  best  range  coun- 
ties in  the  State.  It  has  one  of  the  finest  winter  ranges  in  the 
West,  where  stock  can  roam  at  will,  secure  from  winter  storms 
in  the  shelter  afforded  by  the  high  hills  and  deep  gulches,  while 
on  account  of  the  protection  given  by  the  location  of  the  Big 
Horn  Mountains  and  its  spurs,  lying  to  the  west  and  north,  bliz- 
zards are  unknown,  and  the  fall  of  snow  is  the  least,  especially 
on  the  head  of  Powder  River  and  its  tributaries,  of  any  place  in 
the  same  latitude  in  the  United  States,  with  the  probable  excep- 
tion of  a  small  strip  on  the  Pacific  coast.  The  hills  are  covered 
with  a  thick  sod  of  buffalo  and  the  other  native  grasses,  and  the 
cattle  on  the  range  in  the  central  and  southern  parts  of  the  county 
keep  in  as  good  condition  as  many  of  those  in  pastures  where 
they  have  been  fed  nearly  all  the  winter. 

Buffalo,  the  county  seat,  has  always  been  a  prosperous 
town,  and  at  the  present  time  has  a  population  of  1,000.  It  is 
the  business  center  of  a  fine  grazing  and  agricultural  district  and 
has  superior  natural  advantages. 

Clear  Creek  could  furnish  water  power  for  a  hundred  fac- 
tories, besides  irrigating  several  thousand  acres  of  land.  At  the 
present  time  Buffalo  is  thirty-two  miles  from  the  Burlington 
railroad,  but  at  no  distant  day  expects  to  have  a  railroad  connec- 
tion. Its  citizens  have  been  very  enterprising  in  building  up  the 
town,  having  erected  a  $40,000  court  house,  a  $15,000  school 


ii4  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

house  and  numerous  brick  buildings.  The  city  also  maintains 
an  electric  light  plant,  flouring  mill,  waterworks  and  two  news- 
papers. Two  stage  lines  are  operated,  one  leaving  daily  for 
Sheridan  and  the  other  for  Clearmont,  the  nearest  railroad  point. 
Last  year  more  than  four  million  pounds  of  freight  was  hauled 
by  wagon  over  the  latter  route.  The  town  of  Buffalo  needs  an 
electric  railway  connection  with  the  Burlington  Route,  a  distance 
of  forty  miles  down  Clear  Creek,  where  water  power  can  be 
obtained  therefor. 

The  Government,  under  the  National  Irrigation  act,  con- 
templates using  the  waters  from  Lake  De  Smet  for  the  irrigation 
of  a  vast  "tract  of  land,  which,  if  done,  will  open  same  to  settle- 
ment, with  water  on  the  land,  within  a  year  or  two. 

Here  is  located  the  State  Soldiers'  Home,  upon  1,270  acres 
of  fertile  land.  The  buildings  cost  over  $100,000. 

The  United  States  land  office  for  this  countv  is  at  Buffalo. 


Laramie  County. 


Laramie  County  was  organized  in  1879,  and  was  named 
after  Jacques  Laramie,  a  French  fur  trader,  who  was  killed  near 
the  mouth  of  the  Laramie  River  about  1820.  The  Laramie 
River,  Laramie  Peak,  Fort  Laramie  and  Laramie  Countv  were 
named  after  this  pioneer. 

The  county  indebtedness  is  $400,000,  and  the  rate  of  tax- 
ation is  21%  mills.  The  total  number  of  acres  of  land  listed  for 
taxation  is  1,050,359,  and  the  value  of  all  real  estate  in  the 
county,  including  town  lots,  is  $3,028,431 ;  total  value  of  all  as- 
sessable property  in  the  county  is  $6,569,077. 

This  county  is  located  in  the  southeastern  portion  of  Wyo- 
ming, and  comprises  an  area  of  7,000  square  miles.  It  ranks 
first  in  population  and  wealth,  and  was  one  of  the  original  four 
counties  of  the  Territory  of  Wyoming.  The  rolling  plains  along 
the  eastern  slope  of  the  Black  Hills  Range,  varying  in  altitude 
from  4,000  to  8,000  feet,  are  its  natural  features.  These  plains 
are  peculiarly  adapted  to  grazing.  In  all  parts  of  the  county  are 
found  numerous  streams.  The  total  acreage  of  the  county  is 
4,520,000,  of  which  3,000,000  acres  are  fine  grazing  land  and 
1,000,000  are  susceptible  of  being  made  rich  agricultural  lands. 

It  is  full  of  undeveloped  resources  ;  has  iron,  coal,  copper,  gold 
and  silver,  sandstone,  marble,  granite,  mineral  paint  and  mica.  The 


H 


LARAMIE  COUNTY.  115 

land  is  generally  free  from  stones  and  other  obstructions,  and  is 
easily  broken  and  cultivated,  and  is  very  fertile. 

Laramie  County  has  passed  from  a  purely  pastoral  condi- 
tion to  one  of  mixed  husbandry.  Stock  raising,  farming,  dairy- 
ing and  gardening  are  practiced  in  varying  degrees.  The  av- 
erage temperature  is  about  60°  F. ;  the  rainfall  fourteen  inches. 
All  field  crops  common  to  the  West  succeed  well. 

The  development  through  irrigation  has  not  been  confined 
to  any  particular  locality.  The  soil  is  exceedingly  fertile,  the 
water  reliable  and  the  altitude  sufficiently  low  to  warrant  the 
planting  of  any  of  the  ordinary  field  crops.  The  creeks  are 
lined,  therefore,  with  the  farms  of  ranchmen,  who,  combining 
farming  and  stock  raising,  are  prosperous. 

County  Seat. — The  City  of  Cheyenne  is  the  county  seat  of 
Laramie  County  and  the  State  Capital,  and  has  a  population  of 
14,000.  Owing  to  the  rapid  advancement  of  Cheyenne  after  the 
settlement  in  1867,  it  gained  the  title  of  "The  Magic  City,"  and 
has  always  been  noted  for  the  wealth  and  enterprise  of  its  citi- 
zens. The  city  was  designated  as  the  capital  when  Wyoming 
Territory  was  organized  in  1869.  It  is  516  miles  west  of  Omaha, 
on  the  line  of  the  Union  Pacific.  It  is  also  the  junction  point 
of  the  Colorado  and  Southern  and  the  terminus  of  the  Burlington 
Route. 

Cheyenne  has  an  extensive  system  of  waterworks,  the  latest 
and  most  approved  sewerage  system,  fire  department  and  fire 
alarm  system,  telephone  exchange,  arc  and  incandescent  electric 
lighted  streets,  besides  gas  for  general  use ;  has  a  new  opera 
house  building  in  process  of  construction,  to  cost  $35,000;  a 
$30,000  club  house,  fine  business  blocks,  elegant  private  resi- 
dences, two  banks,  eleven  churches,  two  daily  newspapers  and 
State  Capitol  costing  $300,000.  Among  the  other  institutions 
are  the  Federal  building  and  postoffice,  costing  $350,000;  Elks' 
home,  costing  $30,000;  Masonic  Temple,  $50,000;  five  public 
school  buildings,  built  at  an  average  cost  of  $30,000;  convent 
school,  erected  at  a  cost  of  over  $50,000;  a  county  hospital,  a 
county  court  house  and  jail,  and  extensive  railroad  shops,  em- 
ploying 700  men.  Andrew  Carnegie  gave  $50,000  for  the  con- 
struction of  a  public  library,  which  has  been  built.  The  city  is 
the  supply  point  for  an  immense  stock  raising  and  agricultural 
country,  and  its  citizens  are  among  the  largest  live  stock  owners 
in  the  State. 

Fort  Russell,  three  miles  from  the  city,  is  the  largest  and 
most  important  military  post  in  the  Department  of  the  Missouri. 

There  are  several  manufacturing  establishments  in  the  city, 
and  the  volume  of  business  transacted  annually  amounts  to  many 


n6  THE;  STATE;  OF  WYOMING. 

thousands  of  dollars.  A  creamery  recently  established  has  a 
large  business  and  is  now  building  a  fine  cold  storage  plant. 

Strangers  view  with  delight  the  miles  of  smooth  stone  flag- 
ging and  cement  sidewalks  that  line  almost  every  street  in  Chey- 
enne. The  beauty  of  many  of  the  streets  and  avenues  is  greatly 
enhanced  by  the  bright  green  turf  on  either  side  of  the  walks, 
which,  together  with  long  lines  of  trees,  forms  an  agreeable 
feature  of  the  city's  landscape.  Nowhere  can  be  found  more 
delightful  drives.  Nature  has  provided  roads  equal  to  the 
smooth  gravel  roads  of  Central  Park,  New  York.  The  people 
of  Cheyenne  have  made  it  one  of  the  most  attractive  places  in 
which  to  live  in  America. 

One  of  the  greatest  attractions  of  the  city  is  its  pure  and 
healthful  climate.  Its  air  is  an  invigorating  tonic,  cool  in  the 
summer,  mild  in  winter.  No  better  summer  climate  can  be  found 
in  our  land. 

The  Wheatland  Colony. — No  more  important  enterprise 
has  been  undertaken  and  carried  out  to  successful  results  in  the 
reclamation  of  arid  lands  than  that  of  the  Wheatland  Colony  by 
the  Wyoming  Development  Company  of  Cheyenne.  Each  year 
since  the  initiation  of  the  enterprise  the  company  has  done 
much  for  the  betterment  of  the  system.  Its  great  irrigation  plant 
now  means  the  successful  and  ultimate  reclamation  of  fully  one 
hundred  thousand  acres.  The  lands  reclaimed  and  being  re- 
claimed are  in  the  northern  half  of  Laramie  County,  by  railroad 
ninety  miles  from  Cheyenne,  on  either  side  of  the  Colorado  and 
Southern  railroad. 

In  the  selection  of  a  locality  for  an  irrigation  plant,  many 
things  should  be  considered,  among  which  are,  a  market  for  the 
agricultural  products,  the  soil,  water  supply  and  accessibility  to 
timber.  The  Wheatland  Colony  has  all  these  advantages.  The 
altitude,  4,500  to  4,800  feet,  is  the  happy  medium  for  the  cul- 
tivation of  lands  with  the  aid  of  irrigation. 

The  water  is  taken  from  the  Laramie  River,  the  Sybille  and 
Blue  Grass  Creeks,  through  three  canals.  Number  one  is  thirty- 
four  miles  long,  has  a  width  of  twenty  feet  on  the  bottom  and  a 
depth  of  four  feet.  Canal  number  two  is  twenty-two  miles  long, 
has  a  depth  of  three  and  one-half  feet  and  a  width  on  the  bottom 
of  twenty-two  feet.  Canal  number  three  is  twelve  miles  long, 
has  a  width  of  fifteen  feet  on  the  bottom  and  a  depth  of  three 
feet.  The  water  is  turned  from  the  Laramie  River  to  the  head 
of  Blue  Grass  Creek  by  means  of  a  tunnel.  The  Blue  Grass 
carries  the  water  to  Sybille  Creek,  and  from  that  stream  the 
water  is  conducted  by  the  above  mentioned  canals  across  the 
lands  to  be  irrigated  by  laterals,  distributed  wherever  necessary. 


LARAMIE  COUNTY.  117 

To  reinforce  the  water  supply  in  case  of  drouth  in  any  season, 
water  has  been  turned  into  natural  reservoirs.  Number  one  has 
a  shore  line  of  eight  miles.  No  more  extensive  reservoir  has 
yet  been  found  in  the  United  States  than  number  two ;  it  is 
seven  miles  long,  averaging  two  and  one-half  miles  in  width. 
Its  greatest  depth  is  thirty-five  feet,  and  its  average  depth  is 
eighteen  feet.  It  covers  6,600  acres,  and  has  a  shore  line  of 
thirty-five  miles.  It  carries  1 18,800  acre  feet  of  storage. 

A  timber  supply  of  sufficient  abundance  for  all  domestic 
purpose  is  near  at  hand. 

The  soil  is  a  black  loam,  well  adapted  for  all  small  grains 
grown  in  the  temperate  zone,  alfalfa,  clover,  potatoes,  sugar 
beets,  vegetables  and  some  varieties  of  Indian  corn.  The  ex- 
periments with  growing  apples,  cherries,  plums  and  all  .small 
fruits  have  been  satisfactory.  That  the  soil  is  well  adapted 
for  the  production  of  wheat,  oats,  barley,  rye,  potatoes,  turnips, 
flax,  beets,  cabbage  and  certain  varieties  of  corn,  has  been 
shown  by  repeated  tests  and  experiments.  Timothy  does  ex- 
ceedingly well,  and  crops  of  alfalfa  produced  mark  the  coun- 
try as  one  of  the  best  for  growing  this  profitable  forage  plant. 
Experiments  in  growing  sugar  beets  have  been  so  successful 
that  doubtless  before  long  a  sugar  beet  factory  will  be  estab- 
lished in  the  colony.  Experts  of  two  of  the  sugar  beet  com- 
panies of  the  United  States  have  made  very  favorable  reports 
to  their  companies  on  the  Wheatland  Colony  as  a  place  for  the 
establishment  of  a  sugar  beet  plant. 

The  school  system  is  of  the  very  best.  There  are  nine 
good  schools  in  the  colony.  The  colony  is  supplied  with  rural 
mail  delivery  and  collection. 

The  City  of  Cheyenne,  the  towns  of  Guernsey.  Hartville 
and  Sundance,  and  the  mining  and  stock  raising  sections  afford 
good  markets  for  everything  raised  in  the  colony. 

Sheep  and  cattle  feeding  are  no  longer  experimental  in 
the  colony.  It  has  become  a  very  profitable  business.  Alfalfa 
is  the  foundation  of  successful  sheep  and  lamb  feeding.  The 
hog  business  is  proving  very  profitable  around  Wheatland. 
Hog  cholera  is  unknown  in  Wyoming.  The  climatic  condi- 
tions are  very  favorable  for  stock  growing  and  feeding. 

The  thrifty  town  of  Wheatland  is  in  the  center  of  the 
colony.  It  is  on  the  Colorado  and  Southern  railroad,  which 
connects  at  Cheyenne  with  the  Union  Pacific  and  Burlington 
systems,  at  Grin  Junction  with  the  Fremont,  Elkhorn  and 
Missouri  Valley  railroad  (a  part  of  the  Northwestern  system), 
and  at  Hartville  Junction  with  the  Burlington. 

The  town  has  a  population  of  six  hundred,  made  up  of  a 
fine  class  of  people,  intelligent,  hospitable  and  public  spirited. 


n8  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

It  has  fine  school  buildings,  three  churches — Methodist,  Con- 
gregational and  Roman  Catholic — a  library  and  a  good  library 
building.  The  town  is  supplied  with  a  telephone  exchange, 
and  h^s  long  distance  connections  with  all  the  large  towns  of 
Wyoming,  Colorado,  Utah  and  Idaho.  There  are  five  general 
stores,  a  drug  store,  two  livery  stables,  two  hotels,  one*  bank, 
a  harness  and  saddle  manufacturing  establishment,  two  black- 
smith and  carriage  shops,  two  newspapers,  five  secret  orders, 
a  good  hall  and  a  modern  roller  mill  with  a  capacity  of  125 
barrels  a  day. 

Coal  is  cheap.  Wood  is  abundant  and  may  be  had  for 
simply  the  cutting  and  hauling.  Good  native  lumber  is  worth 
$15  per  thousand,  or  from  $7  to  $10  at  the  mills.  Building 
stone  is  plenty  and  bricks  are  made  in  proximity  to  the  town. 

Wheatland  has  a  good  outlook,  and  is  one  of  the  many 
sections  of  the  State  that  promise  good  and  speedy  returns 
for  capital  invested.  The  agriculturalist  who  is  looking  for  an 
ideal  farming  country,:;  cattle  and  sheep  producers  who  are 
desirous  for  the  most  advantageous  conditions  for  stock  rais- 
ing; the  business  man  who  is  seeking  the  new  town  full  of 
promise,  with  a  growing  surrounding  country,  and  those  bro- 
ken in  health  who  seek  a  favorable  climate,  will  find  good 
openings  at  Wheatland.  The  lands  are  selling  rapidly  for 
from  $22.50  to  $35  per  acre.  Ten  years'  time  is  given,  with 
equal  annual  payments,  at  six  per  cent,  interest.  No  payment 
except  the  interest  has  to  be  made  the  second  year,  which  gives 
the  settler  an  opportunity  to  pay  for  his  farm  even  though  his 
means  be  limited.  A  perpetual  water  right  goes  with  each  piece 
of  land,  and  a  purchaser  of  a  Wheatland  farm  cannot  be  de- 
prived of  an  equal  water  right  with  every  landholder  any  more 
than  he  can  be  deprived  of  the  land  itself.  The  land  and  water 
go  together.  When  the  lands  and  water  have  all  been  sold,  the 
irrigation  works  will  be  absolutely  under  the  control  of  those 
holding  lands  in  the  colony. 

Guernsey. — The  new  town  of  Guernsey,  which  is  the  na- 
tural railroad  and  business  center  of  the  iron  region  known 
as  the  Hartville  Iron  Range,  and  described  elsewhere  in  this 
book  under  Mineral  Resources,  is  located  at  the  base  of  the 
Iron  Range  in  the  Valley  of  the  Platte  River.  It  is  beautifully 
situated  below  the  mouth  of  the  Grand  Canon  in  a  broad 
sweep  of  intervals  in  a  bend  of  the  river.  With  the  develop- 
ment of  the  mining  and  stock  industries  and  railroad  building, 
with  which  its  interests  are  identified,  and  from  which  it  sprang 
into  existence,  its  future  growth  is  assured. 

Its  location  marks  it  as  one  of  the  coming  industrial  cities 


NATRONA  COUNTY.  119 

of  Wyoming.  It  already  has  two  railroads,  and  with  the 
western  extensions  of  the  Burlington,  will  become  a  division 
headquarters  on  its  continental  system,  and  will  have  connec- 
tion with  the  mining  camps,  not  only  of  the  Hartville  Range, 
but  those  of  Halleck  Canon,  Plumbago  Canon,  Squaw  Moun- 
tain, Horse  Shoe  Park,  North  Laramie  and  the  Peak  Range. 
North  of  Guernsey  are  the  mining  camps  of  Whalen  Canon, 
Wildcat,  Muskrat  and  Rawhide  Buttes,  which  will  be  reached 
by  a  spur  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  mountains. 

The  establishment  of  industrial  enterprises  at  Guernsey 
is  to  be  promoted  by  the  building  of  a  big  dam  at  the  mouth 
of  the  canon,  where  the  immense  volume  of  Platte  River  water 
will  be  utilized  for  electric  light,  power  and  water  systems 
second  to  none  in  the  West.  The  electric  power  generated 
here  will  not  only  furnish  light,  but  will  in  time  operate  all 
the  mines  of  the  range,  while  the  water  supply  will  irrigate 
thousands  of  acres  of  land  along  the  valley,  as  well  as  provide 
an  admirable  water  system  for  the  City  of  Guernsey,  with  its 
mills,  smelters  and  workshops,  at  a  small  expense. 

Hartville  is  the  headquarters  of  the  Colorado  Fuel  and  Iron 
Company's  mines.  Development  work  on  some  of  the  mining 
claims  near  Hartville  show  indications  of  good  gold  values,  and 
a  gold  mining  district  may  be  developed  this  year. 

The  United  States  land  office  for  this  county  is  located 
at  Cheyenne. 


Natrona  County. 


Natrona  County  was  organized  in  1888.  It  derives  its 
name  from  the  natural  deposits  of  natron,  or  carbonate  of 
soda,  found  in  the  numerous  basins  or  lakes  that  abound  in 
that  section  of  Wyoming.  Located  in  almost  the  geographical 
center  of  the  State,  it  covers  an  area  of  about  seventy  miles 
square.  The  Platte  River,  with  its  numerous  tributaries  trav- 
ersing its  entire  length,  a  distance  of  seventy-five  miles  from 
east  to  west,  furnishes  an  abundant  supply  of  water  for  irri- 
gation, and  as  the  mean  elevation  is  5,500  feet,  the  farmers 
of  the  county  can  raise  all  the  hardy  grains,  vegetables  and 
fruit  common  to  the  Northwestern  States. 

At  the  present  time  the  live  stock  interest  leads  all  other 
industries  in  this  county.  The  Fremont,  Elkhorn  and  Mis- 


120  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

souri  railroad,  a  branch  of  the  great  Northwestern  system, 
affords  an  outlet  to  Eastern  markets.  The  assessed  wealth 
of  Natrona  County  in  1903  was  $2,192,582,  and  was  divided 
as  follows:  Sheep,  $882,002;  cattle,  $216,219;  horses,  $106,- 
917,  and  improvements,  $282,972.  The  county  indebtedness 
is  $15,900,  and  the  rate  of  taxation  for  the  year  1903  was 
20  1-3  mills. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  raising  of  sheep  overshadows 
all  other  industries.  The  fleece  of  a  Natrona  County  sheep 
will  average  seven  pounds,  and  the  total  wool  clip  for  1903 
approximates  3,000,000  pounds. 

But  it  is  the  undeveloped  resources  of  Natrona  County 
that  offer  the  greatest  inducement  for  the  investment  of  cap- 
ital. Already  the  oil  industry  has  reached  an  important  stage 
of  development.  The  oil  district,  which  covers  an  area  of 
2,000  square  miles,  has  been  largely  prospected,  and  numerous 
wells  have  been  drilled,  which  yield  an  unlimited  supply  of 
natural  oils.  About  700,000  acres  of  oil  lands  have  been  lo- 
cated in  Natrona  County.  The  oil  is  lubricant  in  character, 
and  is  said  by  experts  to  be  the  best  in  the  world.  The  prin- 
cipal basin  is  on  Salt  Creek.  Wells  have  also  been  drilled  on 
the  South  Fork  of  Powder  River,  in  the  Rattlesnake  district, 
and  on  Casper  Creek.  In  every  district  the  finest  of  lubricat- 
ing oil  has  been  found.  See  article  on  Oil. 

Steam  coal  exists  in  Natrona  County.  Lignite  coal,  vary- 
ing from  a  few  inches  to  several  feet  in  thickness,  is  found  in 
various  parts  of  the  county.  The  inexhaustible  deposits  of 
sulphate  and  carbonate  of  soda,  which  are  formed  from  natural 
springs,  will  some  day  be  the  basis  of  a  great  and  profitable 
industry,  and  only  await  the  magic  touch  of  capital  and  skill 
to  develop  their  greatest  possibilities. 

Among  the  natural  wonders  of  Natrona  County  are  the 
Alcova  Hot  Springs,  which  possess  medicinal  virtues  for  the 
treatment  of  rheumatism  and  kindred  diseases.  These  springs 
are  located  on  the  North  Platte  River,  in  the  mountains,  and 
are  surrounded  with  beautiful  scenery.  Considerable  devel- 
opment has  been  made  in  the  mining  of  precious  metals. 
Deposits  of  gold  and  silver  ore  are  found  in  the  mountains. 
Low  grade  ores,  which  assay  from  five  to  ten  dollars  a  ton, 
are  abundant,  and  in  time  can  be  profitably  mined.  Coal, 
copper,  iron  and  valuable  building  stone  are  found  in  various 
localities.  The  best  developed  copper  claims  in  Casper  Moun- 
tain assay  from  37  to  40  per  cent,  copper.  Asbestos  is  also 
found  in  paying  quantities. 

Casper,  the  county  seat  of  Natrona  County,  is  a  thriving 
town  of  1,200  inhabitants.  It  is  the  western  terminus  of  the 


Photo  by  Stimson. 

GRAND  CANON   OF  NORTH  PLATTE  RIVER,  NATRONA  COUNTY. 


Photo  by  Stimson. 

NATURE'S  DOUBLE-HEADED  SPHYNX. 


SHERIDAN  COUNTY.  121 

Fremont,  Elkhorn  and  Missouri  Valley  railroad,  which  gives 
it  a  large  and  important  freighting  business  and  trade  with 
the  country  west  of  Casper,  including  the  prosperous  coun- 
ties of  Fremont  and  Big  Horn.  Its  fine  business  blocks, 
churches  and  school  houses  attest  the  liberality  of  the  people. 
Among  the  recent  improvements  are  fine  waterworks  and  a 
steam  plant  for  shearing  sheep.  There  are  about  7,000  acres 
of  land  irrigated,  while  there  are  50,000  acres  susceptible  of 
irrigation  and  3,700,000  acres  of  pasture  lands. 

There  is  in  this  county  seat  a  great  opening  for  a  ditch 
which  will  irrigate  from  50,000  to  75,000  acres  of  land.  These 
lands  can  be  secured  under  the  arid  land  act  (see  article  on 
"Lands")  at  fifty  cents  per  acre. 

The  United  States  Government  has  announced  its  inten- 
tion of  constructing  an  immense  dam  above  Alcova,  turning 
the  Grand  Canon  of  the  Platte  into  a  storage  reservoir  and  af- 
fording water  for  reclamation  of  arid  lands. 

The  United  States  land  office  for  this  county  is  located 
at  Douglas. 


Sheridan  County. 


Sheridan  County  was  organized  in  1888,  and  was  named 
for  General  Phil  Sheridan.  It  is  situated  in  the  central  part 
of  Northern  Wyoming.  It  is  ninety  miles  east  and  west,  and 
thirty  miles  north  and  south,  containing  2,700  square  miles. 
This  area  is  divided  as  follows:  Three  hundred  and  seventy- 
eight  thousand  acres  mountainous,  350,000  acres  irrigated  or 
capable  of  irrigation,  1,000,000  acres  grazing  lands.  There 
are  now,  approximately,  200,000  acres  under  cultivation. 

The  assessed  wealth  of  Sheridan  County  in  1903  was 
$3,232,615;  rate  of  taxation,  18  mills;  bonded  indebtedness, 
$21,700. 

The  principal  products  of  the  county  are  cattle,  hay.  oats, 
wheat,  potatoes  and  coal.  Farming,  in  connection  with  stock 
raising,  is  the  chief  occupation  of  the  people,  being  by  far  the 
best  paying  business.  This  county  combines  in  an  exceed- 
ingly favorable  manner  crop  raising  and  stock  raising.  The 
range  grasses  here  are  considered  by  stockmen  to  be  unexcelled. 
An  evidence  of  this  is  in  the  fact  that  range  beef  from  this 
county  usually  receives  the  highest  price  for  that  class  of 


122  THE  STATE;  OF  WYOMING. 

beef  in  the  Chicago  market.    Referring  to  the  crops,  they  also 
receive  the  highest  awards,  both  for  quality  and  quantity. 

The  climate  here  is  good.  The  chinook  or  warm  winds 
from  the  Pacific  Ocean  keep  the  range  open  during  the  winter. 
The  annual  output  of  coal  is  500,000  tons,  the  greater  part 
of  which  is  shipped  to  the  Black  Hills  and  points  in  Nebraska. 
Of  wheat,  200,000  bushels  are  raised  each  year,  the  acreage 
being  on  the  increase,  but  by  far  the  largest  acreage  in  crops 
is  given  to  the  raising  of  hay,  principally  alfalfa.  This  is  the 
case  where  the  business  is  that  of  stock  raising.  It  is  notable, 
however,  that  as  farmers  come  into  this  country  from  Eastern 
States  the  farm  is  made  to  produce  greater  profit  in  the  rais- 
ing of  grain,  potatoes  and  small  fruit.  This  county  secured  at 
the  World's  Fair  in  Chicago  a  medal  for  the  best  spring  wheat 
raised  in  1893. 

The  mountainous  part  of  Sheridan  County  shows  pros- 
pects rich  in  copper,  and  good  samples  of  gold,  silver,  nickel 
and  other  minerals  are  found.  This  part  of  the  county  con- 
tains a  large  number  of  natural  basins  for  the  storage  of 
water,  which  insures  a  vast  development  at  no  distant  time 
in  the  production  of  crops  requiring  late  irrigation.  With 
abundance  of  water,  the  prospects  in  the  mountains  being 
developed  into  mines,  the  whole  country  being  underlaid 
with  coal,  Sheridan  County  combines  the  resources  essential 
as  a  foundation  upon  which  to  make  a  rapid  and  permanent 
development  on  a  sound  basis. 

One  of  the  pleasing  features  is  the  excellent  trout  fishing 
to  be  found  in  all  of  the  twenty-two  streams  flowing  from 
the  Big  Horn  Mountains.  These  streams  were  found  in  early 
days  to  be  the  natural  home  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  trout 
Of  late  years  most  of  the  streams  have  been  stocked  with 
the  Eastern  brook  trout.  The  Big  Horn  Mountains  afford 
the  finest  places  for  summer  camping.  Summer  resorts  have 
been  erected  at  some  of  the  lakes  in  the  mountains  where  the 
fishing  is  the  best,  and  here  one  can  walk  over  great  drifts 
of  snow  which  never  entirely  disappear. 

The  Burlington  and  Missouri  railroad  has  a  line  travers- 
ing the  entire  length  of  the  county,  and  has  projected  lines 
in  other  directions.  There  are  ten  churches,  numerous  excellent 
schools,  flouring  mills,  brick  yards,  a  brewery  and  a  number  of 
small  manufacturing  concerns. 

The  Town  of  Sheridan  is  the  county  seat  of  this  county, 
charmingly  located  at  the  foot  of  the  Big  Horn  Mountains. 
It  has  a  population  of  four  thousand,  and  has  every  improve- 


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SWEET  WATER  COUNTY.  123 

merit  necessary  for  the  enjoyment  of  a  thoroughly  up-to-date 
city  and  has  the  rural  mail  delivery  system.  There  are  eight 
churches,  lodges  of  all  fraternities  and  a  club.  Within  three 
miles  of  the  city  is  situated  Fort  McKenzie,  garrisoned  by 
United  States  troops.  About  twelve  miles  north  of  the  city 
is  the  south  boundary  line  of  the  Crow  Indian  Reservation, 
which  Indians  come  to  Sheridan  in  large  numbers  to  trade. 
At  Sheridan,  also,  is  located  a  State  Hospital. 

This  county  is  one  of  the  best  agriculturally  developed 
counties  in  the  State,  and  is  a  splendid  example  of  what  will 
shortly  be  done  in  this  line  in  other  counties. 

The  United  States  land  office  for  this  county  is  located 
at  Buffalo. 


Sweetwater  County. 

This  was  originally  called  Carter  County,  after  a  pioneer, 
Judge  Carter,  when  a  part  of  Dakota,  but  upon  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Territory  of  Wyoming,  in  1869,  the  name  was 
changed  to  Sweetwater,  after  the  Sweetwater  River,  which 
was  so  named  by  General  Ashley  in  1823. 

The  chief  industries  are  coal  mining  and  stock  raising. 

Jn  the  year  1903  the  total  assessed  value  of  property  in 
the  county  was  $3,869,769,  divided  as  follows :  Railroad 
property,  $1,409,906;  lands  and  improvements,  $1,363,881; 
cattle,  $21,318;  horses,  $34,216;  sheep,  $543,173.  The  total 
bonded  indebtedness  is  $76,700;  the  rate  of  taxation,  20  1-3 
mills. 

Green  River,  the  county  seat  of  Sweetwater  County,  has 
a  population  of  about  1,200,  and  is  essentially  a  railroad  town, 
being  a  division  point  on  the  Union  Pacific.  Extensive  repair 
shops  are  operated  here  by  the  railroad  company.  The  sur- 
rounding country  is  devoted  largely  to  the  grazing  of  sheep 
and  other  live  stock.  A  system  of  waterworks  has  been  con- 
structed at  a  cost  of  nearly  half  a  million  dollars,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  pumping  water  from  Green  River  to  Rock  Springs, 
a  distance  of  eighteen  miles,  where  extensive  coal  mining 
operations  are  carried  on  by  the  Union  Pacific.  Large  quan- 
tities of  ice  are  annually  stored  at  Green  River,  and  during 
the  summer  season  between  four  and  five  hundred  thousand 
railroad  ties  and  mine  props  are  floated  down  the  river  and 


124  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

distributed  at  this  point.     A  saw  mill  is  maintained  for  the 
manufacture  of  rough  lumber. 

The  most  promising  industry  in  Green  River,  at  the  pres- 
ent time,  is  the  production  of  sal  soda,  which  is  likely  to  as- 
sume vast  proportions  in  a  short  time.  Several  wells  have 
been  sunk  on  the  bottoms  of  Green  River,  that  yield  an  in- 
exhaustible supply  of  water  containing  an  average  of  twenty- 
five  per  cent,  of  soda  crystals,  or,  in  other  words,  twenty-five 
pounds  of  sal  soda  to  every  one  hundred  pounds  of  water. 
The  development  of  this  industry  at  first  was  very  much 
retarded  by  the  failure  to  secure  freight  rates  that  would  en- 
able the  chemical  company  to  place  their  product  on  the 
market.  A  few  months  ago  rates  were  obtained  that  enables 
this  product  to  compete  at  Missouri  River  points  and  on  the 
Pacific  coast.  The  result  was  that  in  September  last  the  com- 
pany shipped  150  tons  of  sal  soda,  which  had  a  market  value 
at  Omaha  of  $24  per  ton.  Wyoming  sal  soda  is  superior  to 
that  manufactured  from  salt,  and  has  been  given  the  prefer- 
ence wherever  installed. 

Rock  Springs. — Eighteen  miles  distant  on  the  line  of  the 
Union  Pacific  is  located  the  town  of  Rock  Springs.  Here  are 
operated  the  largest  coal  mines  in  the  State.  It  has  a  popula- 
tion of  5,000,  composed  very  largely  of  miners,  and  is  one  of 
the  most  active  business  points  in  Wyoming.  It  is  well  built, 
having  fine  business  blocks,  a  water  system,  electric  light 
plant  and  a  magnificent  $25,000  city  hall.  At  this  point  is 
located  the  Wyoming  General  Hospital,  maintained  by  the 
State. 

Industries. — The  county  is  well  suited  to  sheep  raising, 
and  many  citizens  are  so  engaged.  The  broken  and  diversified 
character  of  the  country,  covered  as  it  is  with  white  sage  and 
nutritious  grasses,  furnishes  just  the  conditions  conducive  to 
the  successful  management  of  that  class  of  live  stock,  450,000 
head  being  run  upon  the  plains. 

The  entire  county  is  underlaid  with  veins  of  coal,  which, 
however,  have  been  more  extensively  developed  at  Rock 
Springs  than  elsewhere,  and  the  term  Rock  Springs  coal  is 
synonymous  throughout  the  West  with  coal  of  exceptional 
quality.  The  output  is  2,000,000  tons  per  annum.  The  Union 
Pacific  Coal  Company  is  the  largest  operator,  although  there 
are  others  located  at  or  near  Rock  Springs.  This  company 
owns  five  mines,  the  Central  Coal  and  Coke  Company  two, 
and  the  others  are  the  property  of  individuals.  In  addition 
to  Obtaining  a  full  supply  of  fuel  for  the  Union  Pacific  rail- 
road, the  first  named  company  sells  thousands  of  car  loads 
throughout  Wyoming  and  adjacent  States. 


UINTA  COUNTY.  125 

There  are  vast  areas  of  undeveloped  coal  lands  in  the 
county,  principally  to  the  north  of  the  railroad,  much  of  which 
on  being  prospected  shows  excellent  coal  in  veins  from  three 
to  twelve  feet  thick. 

The  United  States  land  office  for  this  county  is  located  at 
Evanston,  except  for  a  few  townships  in  the  southeastern 
portion  of  the  county,  which  are  in  the  Cheyenne  land  office 
district. 


Uinta  County. 


Uinta  County  was  organized  in  1869,  and  was  named  for 
the  Uintah  Indians.  It  lies  in  the  extreme  western  portion 
of  the  State  and  extends  from  the  northern  boundary  of  Utah 
to  the  southern  boundary  of  the  Yellowstone  National  Park. 
It  covers  over  15,000  square  miles,  and  much  of  this  vast  area 
is  unentered  Government  land.  The  Union  Pacific  railroad 
crosses  the  county  in  its  southern  portion,  and  the  Oregon 
Short  Line  in  the  south  central  portion.  The  elevation  ranges 
from  5,000  to  8,000  feet. 

Topography. — The  county  is  characterized  by  a  charming 
alteration  of  wooded  hill  and  arable  valley,  of  rolling  upland 
pasturage  and  well  drained  meadow.  Some  parts  of  the 
county  are  very  mountainous,  but  broad  extents  of  valleys 
and  plateaus  blend  with  the  hills  in  charming  and  picturesque 
beauty.  The  mountains  are  cut  by  a  number  of  swift  rivers 
running  through  deep  canons,  and  the  valleys  are  threaded 
by  the  numerous  forks  and  tributaries  of  these  rivers.  Fair 
lakes  are  embosomed  in  the  hills  and  feed  great  rivers  and 
streams. 

Streams. — The  rivers  of  the  county  are  the  Bear,  Green, 
Salt  and  Snake.  The  principal  tributaries  of  Bear  River  are 
Black's  Fork,  Twin  Creek  and  Smith's  Fork.  Those  of  the 
Green  are  Horse,  Cottonwood,  the  three  Piney  Creeks,  La 
Barge,  Fontenelle  and  Henry's  Fork  Creeks.  Those  of  the 
Snake  are  Buffalo  Fork,  Gros  Ventre  and  Hoback's  Rivers 
from  the  eastward,  and  John  Day's  and  Salt  Rivers  from  the 
south. 

Besides  the  lakes  and  rivers,  there  are  about  forty  named 
creeks  of  considerable  size  traversing  the  surface  of  the 
county. 


126  THE;  STATE;  of  WYOMING. 

Statistics. — Lands  and  improvements  are  assessed  at 
$1,408,727;  total  assessed  valuation  of  all  property,  $5,524,- 
344;  rate  of  taxation,  state  and  county,  18^2  mills;  county 
debt,  $99,500  (bonded)  ;  number  of  schools,  69;  teachers,  81 ; 
districts,  21 ;  school  children  between  five  and  seventeen  years, 
3,303;  population,  census  of  1900,  12,223;  present  population, 
about  16,000. 

Principal  Towns. — The  county  seat  is  Evanston ;  popula- 
tion, 2, no.  It  is  pleasantly  situated  in  the  Bear  River  Valley; 
has  many  natural  advantages,  and  is  one  of  the  most  prosper- 
ous and  attractive  towns  in  the  State.  It  is  the  home  of  pros- 
perous merchants,  cattlemen  and  sheepmen.  The  Union  Pa- 
cific shops  are  located  here,  and  there  are  two  banks,  three 
newspapers,  five  churches,  commodious  brick  school  house, 
large  court  house  and  jail,  electric  light  plant,  waterworks  and 
three  hotels.  The  State  Insane  Asylum  is  situated  here  and 
also  the  United  States  land  office  for  Evanston  district.  Dia- 
mondville,  Kemmerer,  Cokeville  and  Cumberland  are  the 
principal  towns  on  the  Oregon  Short  Line,  and  are  large  coal 
producers.  The  coal  of  Uinta  County  is  but  slightly  exposed, 
being  largely  covered  by  the  tertiary ;  and  it  is  only  where 
recent  erosion  has  occurred  that  the  coal  outcrops.  Owing  to 
this  fact,  it  may  be  years  before  the  full  extent  of  the  coal  lands 
of  Uinta  County  is  thoroughly  known.  The  output  is  ex- 
tensively used  by  the  smelters  of  Montana,  the  railroads  of 
Utah,  Idaho,  Oregon,  California  and  Nebraska,  for  which  pur- 
poses it  is  admirably  suited. 

Star  Valley,  a  fine  agricultural  section,  125  miles  distant 
from  the  county  seat,  is  traversed  by  Salt  River,  Cottonwood 
Creek,  mountain  streams  and  many  large  canals  and  laterals. 
The  population  is  about  2,300.  The  people,  mostly  Mormons, 
are  thrifty  and  prosperous.  They  raise  timothy  and  alfalfa, 
hay,  oats,  barley  and  winter  wheat,  large  crops  of  potatoes 
and  garden  truck,  and  in  agricultural  wealth  and  splendid 
ranges  for  cattle,  rival  the  people  of  the  southern  end  of  the 
county. 

There  are  many  thousand  acres  of  good  agricultural  land 
open  for  settlement  under  the  homestead  and  desert  entry 
laws  of  the  United  States.  This  land  is  admirably  adapted 
for  the  cultivation  of  hay  and  small  grain  crops,  and  there  is 
an  abundance  of  water  for  irrigation  purposes.  Settlers  would 
be  welcomed,  and  there  are  good  opportunities  for  those  who 
have  a  little  capital,  as  good  land  already  brought  under  cul- 
tivation can  be  purchased  for  from  four  to  ten  dollars  per 
acre.  School,  road  and  mail  facilities  are  already  well  estab- 


UINTA  COUNTY.  127 

lished,  and  railroad  communication  is  easy  of  access.  Those 
desirous  of  making  permanent  and  comfortable  homes  at  little 
expense  of  means  and  labor  would  do  well  to  visit  this  section 
and  see  for  themselves  the  advantages  which  this  beautiful 
and  healthful  locality  affords. 

This  county  has  developed  wonderful  oil  fields.  See 
article  on  Oil. 

The  famous  Jackson  Hole  and  Jackson  Lake  lie  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  county,  south  of  the  Yellowstone  National 
Park.  Jackson's  Hole  was  named  in  1828  after  David  E.  Jack- 
son, a  wealthy  partner  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Company. 
Jackson  Hole  is  an  extensive  valley  of  fertile  land  and  some 
good  farms,  and  is  traversed  by  Snake  River  and  num- 
erous creeks.  Prior  to  1871  Jackson  Hole  was  practically  un- 
known to  others  than  the  hardy  trapper  and  prospector,  and  it 
was  not  then  supposed  that  this  great  valley  would  one  day 
become  an  important  part  of  the  body  politic  of  the  State  of 
Wyoming,  and  that  magnificent  farms  and  homes  would  cover 
its  fertile  expanse,  or  the  range  of  the  wild  game,  in  its  last 
retreat  before  the  perpetual  blow  of  advance  civilization.  In 
1884  the  first  settlement  was  made  on  the  Little  Gros  Ventre 
River.  From  this  nucleus  has  sprung  a  hardy  pioneer  opposi- 
tion to  the  inclemencies  and  vicissitudes  of  the  seasons,  and  to- 
day ranching  and  stock  raising  are  carried  on  with  success  and 
thousands  of  acres  have  been  improved  into  great  bodies  of  the 
finest  hay  and  farming  lands  in  the  State. 

The  soil  of  Jackson  Hole  is  a  rich  sandy  loam,  and  while 
the  principal  crops  produced  are  native  hay  and  tame  grasses, 
vegetables  and  small  fruits  mature  and  are  raised  in  sufficient 
quantities  to  supply  all  local  demand.  All  kinds  of  cereals  will 
mature,  and  while  the  approximate  elevation  of  the  valley  is 
6,200  feet  above  sea  level,  the  surrounding  mountains  protect 
it  from  the  killing  winds  and  insure  its  becoming  one  of  the 
future  agricultural  districts  of  the  State. 

The  stock  interests  consist  entirely  of  cattle  and  horses. 
Owing  to  the  location  and  conditions  surrounding  it,  the  val- 
ley is  not  a  good  place  for  sheep.  Stock  is  generally  fed  and 
sheltered  during  the  more  inclement  part  of  the  winter.  Hay 
in  great  quantities  is  raised  and  is  worth  from  $2.50  to  $3.50 
per  ton.  A  ton  of  hay  will  feed  each  head  of  grown  stock. 
Ranchmen  following  the  cattle  business  have  without  excep- 
tion become  well-to-do,  building  large  irrigation  canals,  com- 
fortable residences  and  large  barns  for  the  shelter  of  their 
stock.  Improvement  is  everywhere  evident,  and  for  a  new 
community  Jackson  Hole  has  as  many  valuable  ranch  improve- 
ments as  any  other  new  community  in  the  State. 


128  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

Prospects  have  been  found  that  indicate  that  there  is 
mineral  in  the  vicinity  of  this  valley.  Since  1860  the  bars  on 
the  Snake  River  have  been  worked  for  placer  gold,  and  good 
wages  can  be  and  are  now  obtained  by  sluicing  or  rocking 
the  gravel.  Where  the  gold  comes  from  has  never  been  de- 
termined ;  that  it  is  there  is  beyond  question.  Coal  beds  of 
vast  dimensions  and  superior  quality  lie  on  the  east  side  of 
the  Gros  Ventre  River. 

Jackson  Hole,  being  situated  as  it  is  in  the  heart  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  immediately  south  of  the  Yellowstone  Na- 
tional Park,  is  the  most  important  big  game  preserve  in  the 
United  States.  All  kinds  of  fur  bearing  animals  are  to  be 
found,  while  bear,  mountain  lions,  moose,  elk,  deer,  antelope 
and  mountain  sheep  are  always  in  evidence.  Hunters  from  all 
.over  the  world  have  had  a  try  and  can  testify  as  to  the  sport 
to  be  had  in  this  locality.  Grouse,  geese  and  ducks  are  found 
everywhere,  and  the  streams  that  traverse  the  valley  in  every 
direction  abound  with  fish.  The  Jackson  Valley  Guide  Associa- 
tion, comprising  a  membership  of  competent  resident  guides, 
through  their  officers  at  Jackson,  Wyoming,  will  furnish  all 
necessary  information  and  prices  of  guides  and  approximate 
expenses  to  those  seeking  information.  No  place  in  Wyo- 
ming, outside  of  the  National  Park,  opens  to  the  view  a  more 
varied  and  comprehensive  study  of  nature's  handiwork  than 
this  locality,  a  level  fertile  valley,  covered  with  the  improved 
ranches  of  the  settler,  traversed  by  numerous  streams  of  purest 
crystal  water,  with  numerous  lakes,  while  above  and  beyond 
rise  great  magnificent  snow-capped  mountains,  and,  ever  in 
view,  the  Grand  Tetons  protrude  themselves  against  the  west- 
ern sky.  Their  scraggy  granite  peaks  far  above  the  surround- 
ing ranges  stand  sentinel-like  over  the  shadows  of  the  silent 
valley  below,  once  seen  never  to  be  forgotten. 

Soil. — The  soil  is  of  three  distinct  classes :  First,  the  bot- 
tom or  meadow  lands,  usually  possessing  a  rich,  black  and 
somewhat  heavy  soil,  lying  next  to  the  streams,  always  easily 
irrigated,  and  on  that  account  generally  the  most  desired  by 
settlers :  second,  the  bench  lands,  rising  terrace-like  toward 
the  neighboring  hills,  possessing  as  a  soil  a  warm  sandy  loam, 
always  easily  drained,  usually  presenting  no  great  obstacle  to 
irrigation,  and  now  being  generally  recognized  as  the  soil 
capable  of  the  widest  range  of  production ;  third,  the  high  bluff 
lands,  watered  by  numerous  streams,  usually  too  sandy  for 
cultivation,  but  naturally  affording  the  most  ample  and  nutri- 
tious pasturage  for  horses,  cattle  and  sheep. 


WESTON  COUNTY.  129 

Climate. — The  winters  are  not  severe,  and  the  summers 
arc  always  temperate.  Clear,  frosty  days,  with  an  occasional 
exceptionally  cold  night ;  usually  severe  weather  in  March ; 
some  very  warm  days  in  summer,  but  always  cool  and  reviv- 
ing breezes  in  the  night.  The  sunshine  of  this  county,  as  of 
the  State  in  general,  is  remarkable  not  only  for  its  brilliancy, 
but  for  its  persistency,  cloudy  days  being  in  this  section  the 
exception. 

Agriculture. — The  production  of  timothy  and  wild  hay, 
alfalfa,  oats,  potatoes,  winter  wheat,  and  in  some  sections  bar- 
ley, occupy  the  whole  attention  of  Uinta  County  farmers.  Pos- 
sessing a  soil  singularly  fertile  and  lasting,  this  county  offers 
exceptional  inducements  to  the  agriculturist,  with  the  assur- 
ance that  the  waters  will  never  fail,  that  his  crops  will  never 
be  blighted  by  drought,  and  abundant  harvest  will  surely  fol- 
low seed  time. 

Timber. — Throughout  the  county  timber  is  abundant  on 
the  hill  sides  for  lumber,  fuel  and  mining  purposes.  Yellow 
and  white  pine,  some  cedar  and  spruce,  cottonwood  and  aspen, 
are  the  principal  growths.  Saw  mills  are  in  operation  in  many 
portions  of  the  county,  and  much  lumber  is  produced. 

The  United  States  land  office  for  this  county  is  at  Ev- 
anston. 


Western  County. 


Weston  County  was  organized  in  1890,  and  was  named 
after  a  gentleman  of  that  name,  who  was  interested  in  build- 
ing the  Burlington  railroad  through  that  section'  of  the  State. 
It  is  100  miles  long  by  forty-eight  miles  wide,  comprising 
3,133,440  acres,  and  has  a  population  of  3,203.  The  total  as- 
sessed valuation  of  all  kinds  of  property  in  1903  was  $1,800,778, 
divided  as  follows:  Farm  lands  and  improvements,  $278,704; 
town  lots  and  improvements,  $111,295;  cattle,  $556,078; 
horses,  $89,110;  sheep,  $303,308.  County  indebtedness,  $33,- 
820;  rate  of  taxation,  21  2-3  mills. 

Weston  County,  although  enjoying  an  altitude  between 
4,000  and  5,000  feet  above  the  sea  level  and  possessing  good 
soils,  is  not  so  well  watered  as  other  sections  of  the  State, 
owing  to  the  absence  of  large  streams  having  their  sources 
in  the  lofty  mountains  of  the  snowy  ranges.  The  rainfall, 
however,  is  considerably  greater  than  at  a  higher  altitude, 
averaging  from  eighteen  to  twenty  inches  per  annum.  The 


130  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

dark  loamy  soils,  in  part  of  the  county,  are  quite  productive 
without  irrigation,  and  the  reddish  gypsum  soils  found  at  the 
base  of  table  lands  retain  the  moisture  and  are  very  fertile. 
Precipitation  is  mainly  in  the  spring  and  early  summer,  and 
crops  make  rapid  progress  from  germination  to  maturity. 
Wild  fruits  of  the  smaller  varieties,  such  as  plums,  goose- 
berries, currants  and  strawberries,  grow  plentifully.  All  the 
farm  products  known  in  the  northern  latitudes  are  produced 
in  this  region,  even  Indian  corn,  and  the  yield  is  most  excel- 
lent. Wheat  of  the  spring  varieties  yields  over  fifty  bushels, 
rye  over  forty,  oats  seventy  to  even  one  hundred  bushels,  and 
corn,  of  the  flint,  dent  and  squaw  varieties,  also  makes  good 
returns.  Timothy,  alfalfa,  red  clover  and  other  tame  grasses 
are  cultivated  with  success,  as  are  also  potatoes,  rutabagas, 
turnips,  carrots  and  sugar  beets,  the  last  named  producing  as 
high  as  six  tons  per  acre,  with  twenty  per  cent,  of  sugar,  as 
shown  by  analysis.  Stock  growing  makes  an  excellent  ac- 
companiment of  farming  throughout  this  region.  Shorthorn, 
Hereford,  Sussex  and  West  Highlands  cattle  find  favor  for 
the  range.  Horses  also  receive  much  attention  and  are  in- 
creasing in  value.  There  is  good  pine  timber  in  the  Black 
Hills,  and  numerous  saw  mills  supply  the  wants  of  the  set- 
tler. Gypsum  is  found  in  inexhaustible  quantities,  and  su- 
perior quality  of  building  stone,  granite  and  lime.  Salt  pro- 
ducing springs  have  been  discovered  near  Jenney's  Stockade, 
and  an  oil  district  in  the  same  locality  covers  over  400  square 
miles.  (See  article  on  Oil.)  Weston  County  is  famous  for  its 
coal,  which  finds  a  ready  market  in  the  adjoining  States  of 
South  Dakota  and  Nebraska  and  along  the  line  of  the  Bur- 
lington railroad,  which  traverses  the  entire  length  of  the 
county,  east  and  west. 

Newcastle,  the  county  seat,  is  a  thriving  town.  The  first 
building  was  erected  in  September,  1889,  the  Burlington  rail- 
road having  reached  that  point  in  the  previous  month.  After 
the  discovery  of  coal  the  population  grew  very  rapidly,  and 
in  1900  was  756.  In  1890  extensive  waterworks  were  con- 
structed at  a  cost  of  over  $100,000  by  the  Cambria  Mining 
Company,  which  furnishes  an  abundant  supply  of  water  for 
Newcastle,  Cambria  and  the  great  coal  mines.  A  $6,000  town 
hall  and  $12,000  school  building  have  been  erected.  Within 
.the  immediate  vicinity  are  several  oil  wells,  the  first  discovery 
being  made  fifteen  years  ago.  All  lines  of  business  are  well 
represented  and  prosperous. 

Cambria  is  a  coal  mining  town,  the  population  being 
actively  engaged  in  that  industry.  The  quality  of  coal  mined 
is  excellent,  and  is  described  elsewhere  in  this  publication. 


PUBLIC  BUILDINGS.  131 

Modern  equipment  and  methods  are  the  characteristics  of  the 
mining  plant.  The  coal  here  is  of  a  coking  quality,  and  coke 
ovens  are  in  operation.  The  population  of  the  Cambria  district 
is  962. 

The  United  States  land  office  for  this  county  is  located 
at  Sundance. 


Public   Buildings. 


The  Capitol  Building  at  Cheyenne  is  classical  in  style  and 
bears  a  resemblance  to  the  Capitol  at  Washington. 

The  Wyoming  University,  located  at  Laramie,  is  described 
under  the  article  on  Education. 

The  State  maintains  Fish  Hatcheries  at  Laramie,  Saratoga, 
Sundance,  Sheridan  and  Lander,  which  hatcheries  each  year 
stock  the  mountain  streams  with  trout  of  various  varieties. 

The  Penitentiary  Building  is  located  at  Rawlins. 

The  State  Deaf,  Dumb  and  Blind  Asylum  is  located  at 
Cheyenne,  but  is  not  in  use  on  account  of  the  small  number  of 
such  unfortunates. 

The  Insane  Asylum  is  located  at  Evanston. 

Two  General  Hospitals  are  maintained  by  the  State,  one 
at  Rock  Springs  for  the  southern  section  of  the  State,  and  one 
at  Sheridan  for  the  northern  section  of  the  State. 

The  Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  Home  is  located  at  Buffalo, 
where  the  State  owns  1,270  acres  of  rich  agricultural  land  and 
has  buildings  worth  $100,000. 

Wyoming  also  possesses  a  Poor  Farm,  situated  at  Lander, 
but  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  State  has  no  poor,  the  farm  has 
been  rented  and  the  proceeds  applied  to  its  improvement,  so 
far  as  necessary,  and  the  remainder  allowed  to  accumulate  as 
a  fund  for  the  future,  should  it  ever  be  needed. 


Banks  and  Interest 


In  all  the  larger  towns  are  located  national  banks,  while 
in  the  smaller  towns  are  found  banks  incorporated  under  State 
law.  The  legal  rate  of  interest  is  eight  per  cent.,  but  any  rate 
agreed  upon,  not  exceeding  twelve  per  cent.,  is  valid.  The 
usual  bank  rate  on  time  deposits  is  four  per  cent. ;  the  bank  loan 
rate  is  from  ten  to  twelve  per  cent. 


132 


THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 


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TAXES  AND  PUBLIC  INDEBTEDNESS.  133 


Taxes  and  Public  Indebtedness. 


The  wise  restrictions  in  the  State  Constitution  are  a  sure 
guarantee  that  in  Wyoming  taxation  will  never  be  excessive, 
or  the  public  debt  burdensome.  It  is  there  provided  that  for 
State  revenue  there  shall  not  be  levied  to  exceed  four  mills  on 
the  dollar  of  the  assessed  value  of  property  for  all  State  pur- 
poses, except  for  the  payment  of  the  public  debt,  with  interest, 
and  the  support  of  State  charitable  and  educational  institu- 
tions, and  not  to  exceed  twelve  mills  on  the  dollar  for  all 
county  purposes,  excepting  the  county  debt.  Special  school 
taxes  may  be  authorized  by  the  qualified  voters  of  the  several 
districts. 

The  State's  original  bonded  indebtedness  was  $320,000. 
This  is  being  reduced  as  rapidly  as  possible  under  the  con- 
ditions -of  the  bonds,  $60,000  having  been  paid  off  during  the 
last  three  years,  leaving  now  a  debt  of  only  $260,000.  Each 
county  in  the  State  is  also  paying  off  its  bonded  indebtedness. 

Incorporated  cities  and  towns  are  limited  to  eight  mills 
on  the  dollar,  excepting  for  the  payment  of  their  public  debt. 
The  State  debt  is  limited  to  one  per  cent,  of  the  assessed  val- 
uation, while  two  per  cent,  is  the  limit  on  counties,  cities  and 
towns. 

Statement  Showing  the  Valuation  of  the  Several  Counties  of 
the  State  for  the  Year  1903 — One-fourth  Actual  Value. 

Albany  County $  4,248,938.64 

Big  Horn 3,005,256.91 

Carbon 5»534,73I-53 

Converse 2,642,427.76 

Crook 2,171,510.48 

Fremont • 1,946,348.00 

Johnson 1,930,851.00 

Laramie 6,569^77.81 

Natrona 2,192,582.82 

Sheridan 3,232,615.90 

Sweetwater 3,869,769.52 

Uinta 5,524,344.09 

Weston i  ,800,778.70 


Total $44,669,233.16 


134 


THE  STATE  of  WYOMING. 


Total  Property  Assessed  in  1903  at  One-fourth  Actual  Value. 

Railroad  and  car  companies $  7,718,380.79 

Telegraph  and  telephone  lines 290,987.85 

Lands  and  improvements  (7,135,977.17  acres) ....    10,847,600.69 

Town  lots  and  improvements 6,611,359.50 

Horses  (157,809) 1,919,995.00 

Cattle  (512,659) 6,850,877.00 

Mules  and  asses  (901) .^  . .  . .  30,517.00 

Sheep  and  goats  (2,796,226) 5,322,075.05 

Swine  (3.931) 18,833.50 

Dogs  (no) i ,560.00 

Clocks,  watches,  jewelry,  gold  and  silver  plate. . .  .  24,046.00 

Musical  instruments 93,070.00 

Capital    employed    in    manufactures    and    mer- 
chandise   -. 2,436,915.75 

Carriages  and  wagons 444,040.03 

Moneys  and  credits,  after  deducting  debts 812,861.00 

Stocks  in  corporations 413,349.00 

Farming  utensils  and  tools 230,444.00 

Private  libraries 25,853.00 

Household  furniture  ($100  exempt) 131,165.00 

Other  property  not  enumerated 445,303.00 


Total $44,669,233.16 


County  and  School  District  Bonded  Indebtedness. 


COUNTY. 


Albany.  . 
Big  Horn. 
Carbon .  . 
Converse  . 


Crook  .  .  . 
Fremont  .  . 
Johnson  .  . 
Laramie.  .  . 
Natrona  .  . 
Sheridan. .  . 
Sweetwater. 
Uinta  .  .  . 
Weston.  . 


Totals 


Tax 

Levy 

Mills 

20. 

19.375 

17.375 

18. 


22.375 
22.375 
23.750 
21.250 
20.375 
18. 


20.375 

18.5 

21.025 


City  Bonds 


Laramie  .  . 
Cody  .  .  . 
Rawlins  .  . 
Douglas  .  . 
Lusk.  .  .  . 
Sundance . 


Buffalo  .  . 
Cheyenne 
Casper  .  . 
Sheridan.  . 


Rock  Springs 
F.vanston  .  . 
Newcastle.  . 


86,400.00 
16,000.00 
60.000.00 
17,000.00 
4,500.00 
14,725.00 


45,400.00 

£50,500.00 

37,500.00 

105,<XX).00 

20,000-00 

26,000  00 

12,000.00 


$795.025.00 


County 
Bonds 


$  127,000.00 
34,000.00 
129,200.00 
36,900.00 


51.500.00 
32,200.00 
50,800.00 
400,000.00 
15,000.00 
21,700.00 
76,700.00 
99,500.00 
33,820.00 

$1,109,220.00 


School 
District 
Bonds 


$  23,000.00 
11,870.00 
32,200.00 
12,429.50 


1,600.00 
12.000.00 
11,700.00 
70,050.00 

6,300.00 
18,110.00 

4,700.00 
41.400.00 
10,300.00 

$225,659.50 


'Total  of  all  bonds.  . 
Decrease  since  1901 . 


12,129,904.50 
270,818.50 


RAILROADS  AND  STAGE  ROUTES.  135 


Railroads  and  Stage  Routes. 


Tourists  passing  through  Wyoming  on  the  transconti- 
nental railroads  see  little  of  the  agricultural  portion  of  the 
State,  as  the  railroads  for  the  most  part  run  on  the  divides 
between  water  courses,  while  the  farming  settlements  and 
irrigated  lands,  as  in  all  semi-arid  regions,  are  in  the  valleys 
of  the  rivers  and  creeks.  The  Union  Pacific  runs  across  the 
southern  portion  of  the  State  for  468.98  miles,  connecting 
at  Granger  with  the  Oregon  Short  Line  for  Oregon  and 
the  Northern  Pacific  country.  The  Colorado  and  Southern 
has  a  line  running  from  Cheyenne  to  Orin  Junction,  153.68 
miles,  connecting  wath  the  Chicago  and  Northwestern  branch 
running  from  Crawford  to  Casper,  with  a  trackage  of  130.43 
miles  in  Wyoming.  The  Burlington  Route  has  four  branch 
lines  entering  the  State — twenty-nine  miles  of  the  Cheyenne 
and  Hoklredge  line ;  236.59  miles  of  the  main  line  from  Lin- 
coln, Neb.,  to  Billings,  Mont.,  running  through  Newcastle  and 
Sheridan,  connecting  at  Toluca,  Mont.,  with  the  branch  line 
to  Cody,  Wyo.,  a  distance  of  129  miles  (44.61  in  Wyoming), 
and  by  which  all  points  in  the  Big  Horn  Basin  may  be 
reached:  and  41.32  miles  of  the  line  from  Alliance  up  the 
Platte  River  to  Guernsey,  Wyo.  The  Colorado  and  Wyoming 
ore  road,  14.55  miles  long,  connects  the  Colorado  Southern  and 
Burlington  roads  with  the  iron  mines  at  Sunrise. 

There  is  a  coal  road,  6.6  miles  of  which  is  in  Wyoming, 
from  Belle  Fourche  to  Aladdin,  and  another  nineteen  miles 
long  from  Diamondville  to  Spring  Valley. 

Stage  lines  cover  the  State  thoroughly.  Daily  stages 
running  from  Laramie  to  North  Park,  Colorado,  carry  mail 
and  passengers  to  points  on  the  Big  Laramie  River.  To  reach 
the  Encampment  country  the  best  route  is  from  Walcott  sta- 
tion, on  the  Union  Pacific  railroad,  where  all  trains  stop  reg- 
ularly. From  this  point  stages  run  to  Encampment  via  Sar- 
atoga, leaving  Walcott  regularly  at  seven  o'clock  in  the 
morning  daily.  Extra  stages  in  afternoon.  These  stages  are  four 
and  six-horse  Concord  coaches,  in  charge  of  experienced  drivers, 
and  run  through  on  schedule  time.  The  distance  is  twenty- 
three  miles  to  Saratoga  and  forty-three  to  Encampment  from 
Walcott. 

From  Encampment  daily  stages  leave  for  Battle,  twelve 
miles;  Rambler,  fourteen  miles,  and  Dillon,  nineteen  miles; 


136  THE  STATK  OF  WYOMING. 

and  connections  are  made  for  camps  south  or  near  the  State 
line  and  Pearl,  Colorado,  about  thirty  miles. 

Livery  teams  and  saddle  horses  may  be  had  here  for 
different  parts  of  the  district  not  reached  by  stage.  A  line 
runs  daily  from  Laramie,  the  county  seat  of  Albany  County, 
to  Holmes,  a  distance  of  forty-five  miles,  via  Centennial. 

For  Dillon  and  Rudefeha,  where  the  Ferris-Haggarty 
mine  is  located,  connections  by  team  may  also  be  made  from  Raw- 
lins,  the  county  seat  of  Carbon  County,  on  the  Union  Pacific 
railroad,  a  distance  of  fifty-two  miles,  over  a  good  road  re- 
cently opened  up  for  travel. 

From  Saratoga  the  different  points  in  the  Elk  Mountain 
vicinity  may  be  reached  by  team,  and  also  a  number  of  the 
camps  on  Spring  Creek  and  Jack  Creek. 

Freight  is  brought  in  mainly  over  the  Walcott-Saratoga- 
Encampment  road  and  distributed  to  the  various  camps 
throughout  the  district. 

A  daily  stage  and  a  mail  route  runs  from  Rawlins,  on  the 
Union  Pacific  railroad,  to  Lander,  135  miles,  with  connec- 
tions at  Meyersville,  ninety  miles  out  of  Rawlins,  for  Lewis- 
ton,  Atlantic  and  South  Pass  City. 

Lander,  the  county  seat  of  Fremont  County,  may  also  be 
reached  by  team,  and  stage  connections  there  made  for  Ther- 
mopolis  and  Cody,  on  the  B.  &  M.  railroad,  and  to  Casper,  150 
miles,  on  the  Chicago  and  Northwestern  railroad. 

The  best  method  of  reaching  the  South  Pass  district  for 
a  short  stay  is  by  team  from  Rock  Springs,  as  the  eighty  miles 
to  South  Pass  may  be  covered  in  two  days  without  material 
inconvenience,  and  good  accommodations  had  at  Washing- 
ton's ranch,  a  half-way  station. 

South  Pass  has  a  good  hotel,  and  this  may  readily  be 
made  headquarters  while  the  district  is  being  investigated. 

The  most  direct  way  into  the  Sunlight  country  is  from 
Cody,  by  way  of  Hart  Mountain,  Pat  O'Hara  Creek,  Dead 
Indian  Hill  and  Sunlight  Creek,  the  road  having  been  built 
up  the  latter  creek  as  far  as  the  mouth  of  Galena  Creek.  From 
this  road  trails  for  pack  animals  lead  up  to  Sulphur  Creek,  up 
Galena  Creek,  and  thence  over  and  around  the  mountain  to 
the  mines  in  Hughes  Basin  and  Silver  Tip  Basin,  on  the  west 
side  of  Stinking  Water  Peak. 

The  new  road  just  constructed  by  the  United  States  Gov- 
ernment from  Cody  to  the  National  Park,  and  which,  by  the 
way,  is  one  of  the  finest  and  most  picturesque  roads  in  the 
West,  runs  within  twenty  miles  of  Silver  Tip1  Basin,  with  a 
good  pack 'trail  from  the  mouth  of  Jones  Creek  to  the  Basin. 
When  a  wagon  road  is  built  to  the  west  side  of  this  region, 


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HUNTING  AND  FISHING.  137 

this  will  certainly  be  the  route  selected,  being  the  most  ac- 
cessible and  with  a  practicable  grade,.'    ' 

Other  lines  leave  Rawlins  for  Dixon  and  Baggs  and  the 
Snake  River,  Colorado,  country;  from  Casper  to  Central  Wyo- 
ming; Clearmont  to  Buffalo;  Moorcroft  to  Sundance,  con- 
necting with  mail  routes;  from  Sheridan  to  interior  points  in 
Sheridan  and  Johnson  Counties;  from 'Garland  to  Byron,  Cow- 
ley  and  Lovell ;  from  Garland  to  Basin,:  from  thence  to  interior 
towns;  from  Cody  to  Meeteetse  and  Thermopolis;  branches 
from  Meeteetse  to  interior  postoffices ;  Basin  to  Thermopolis, 
via  Welling  and  Worland.  Stage  lines  run  from  Opal  to  Big 
Piney,  connecting  with  interior  points. 


Hunting  and   Fishing. 

For  many  years  game  was  killed  for  food  purposes  at  all 
seasons  and  in  unlimited  quantity,  but  since  1895  stringent 
laws  for  the  protection  of  fish  and  game  have  been  enforced, 
and,  in  consequence,  Wyoming  now  stands  pre-eminent  as  a 
hunting  and  fishing  ground. 

Game  fish  may  be  caught,  by  means  of  rod,  line  and  hook, 
in  the  Big  Horn  and  North  Platte  Rivers  and  their  tributaries 
during  May,  June,  July,  August  and  September ;  and  from 
the  Snake,  Green  and  other  Western  streams  during  June,  July, 
August  and  September ;  but  no  more  than  twenty  pounds  of 
game  fish  may  be  in  the  possession  of  any  one  person  or  party 
at  any  time.  No  trout  or  black  bass  less  than  six  inches  in 
length  can  be  legally  caught.  No  game  fish  can  be  offered  for 
sale  or  shipped  within  or  without  the  State.  The  State  Fish 
Commissioner  may  permit  seining  in  lakes  which  have  been 
stocked  with  lake  trout,  whitefish  or  carp. 

A  bona  fide  citizen  of  the  State  of  Wyoming  may  hunt, 
during  the  open  season,  within  the  limits  of  the  county  in 
which  he  is  an  actual  resident  without  the  payment  of  a  gun 
license.  Upon  the  payment  of  one  dollar  to  any  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  he  is  entitled  to  a  gun  license,  which  will  permit  him 
to  hunt  in  any  county  in  the  State.  It  is  not  necessary  to  have 
a  gun  license  to  hunt  game  birds.  Non-resident  hunters  must 
secure  a  license  at  a  cost  of  fifty  dollars,  and  must  be  accom- 
panied by  a  registered  guide. 


138  THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

During  the  open  season  licensed  parties  may  kill  two  elk, 
two  deer,  two  antelope,  one  mountain  sheep  and  one  mountain 
goat,  between  September  i5th  and  November  I5th.  The  barter 
or  sale  of  any  part  of  the  animals  above  mentioned,  or  the  pos- 
session of  more  than  the  specified  number,  is  prohibited,  under 
penalty  of  heavy  fine  or  imprisonment.  License  must  be  car- 
ried and  shown  upon  request.  Game  killed  by  non-resident 
licensed  hunters  may  be  shipped  from  the  State,  upon  a  cer- 
tificate from  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  stating  that  such  animals 
were  killed  according  to  law.  It  is  unlawful  to  sell  any  part 
of  any  wild  animal,  hides,  horns  or  tusks,  or  to  use  dogs  for 
the  purpose  of  coursing  or  running  the  animals  above  men- 
tioned. Taxidermists  cannot  buy  hides,  horns  or  any  part  of 
game  animals  or  birds,  but  mounted  birds  or  stuffed  heads  and 
horns  of  animals  lawfully  killed  may  be  shipped  withrh  or 
without  the  State. 

Trout  fishing  may  now  be  enjoyed  in  every  part  of  the 
State.  Tourists  coming  West  through  Cheyenne  and  Denver 
will  find  splendid  trout  fishing  on  the  Big  or  Little  Laramie 
Rivers,  leaving  the  railroad  at  Laramie  City.  A  little  farther 
west  the  fisherman  can  leave  the  Union  Pacific  train  at  Walcott 
and  drive  twenty-three  miles  to  Saratoga,  where  he  may  fish 
in  the  North  Platte  River,  running  through  the  town,  go  up 
stream  to  some  of  the  ranches  which  furnish  fishermen  with 
accommodations,  or  fish  down  stream,  as  he  may  prefer.  Brook 
trout  weighing  five  pounds  and  rainbow  trout  weighing  ten 
pounds  are  caught  in  the  Platte  near  Saratoga.  Many  hun- 
dreds of  rainbow  trout  weighing  from  two  to  eight  pounds 
have  been  caught  within  the  city  limits. 

Jackson's  Hole  is  the  greatest  big  game  hunting  ground 
left  fh  the  world.  Five  thousand  elk  were  seen  there  in  one 
day  last  fall.  Lying  as  it  does  south  of  the  Yellowstone  Park, 
it  has  been  a  safe  retreat  for  large  game  for  a  number  of  years, 
and  has  gradually  filled  up  with  the  game  driven  from  other 
States.  Sportsmen  may  leave  the  Union  Pacific  at  any  point 
in  the  western  part  of  the  State  and  outfit  for  the  Jackson's 
Hole  country.  Parties  can  secure  outfits  at  Cody  and  find 
competent  guides  who  will  take  them  through  the  beautiful 
scenery  of  the  National  Park,  Yellowstone  Forest  Reserve 
and  Jackson's  Hole. 

Prairie  chickens  may  be  shot  from  September  ist  to  De- 
cember ist  of  each  year;  sage  chickens  and  grouse,  from  July 
1 5th  to  October  I5th;  snipe  or  other  wader  or  plover,  duck, 
brant  and  geese  may  be  shot  from  September  ist  to  May  ist. 

The  following  is  as  complete  a  list  of  guides  as  is  at  pres- 
ent obtainable.  Write  them  for  specific  information : 


^  ^ 


STATE  FAIR.  139 

Hon.  D.  C.  Nowlin,  State  Game  Warden,  Lander,  Wyo- 
ming. 

Of  Jackson:  G.  M.  Matson,  Harvey  K.  Glidden,  S.  E. 
Osborn,  J.  C.  Anderson,  Walter  Nichols,  U.  G.  Bird,  J.  B.  Gray, 
J.  P.  Nelson,  Frank  L.  Peterson,  Thomas  Wrinegarden,  F.  S. 
Woods,  Frank  Nickell,  J.  A.  Adams,  E.  B.  Ferrin,  S.  N.  Leek, 
O.  E.  Williams,  Stephen  F.  Adams.  William  T.  Crawford,  A.  J. 
Curver,  Charles  Wilson,  A.  N.  Davis,  C.  J.  Wort,  John  Cheney, 
Charles  W.  Hedrick,  Clark  Caswell,  B.  F.  Blodgett,  John 
Maynard,  James  S.  Simpson,  G.  A.  Wilson,  William  Bierer. 
Of  Wilson :  J.  Van  Winkle,  A.  Ward,  J.  K.  Stadler,  George 
Goodrich,  U.  G.  Foster,  J.  A.  Corder,  C.  E.  Hale,  John  Miller. 
Of  Elk  :  Frank  Lovell,  C.  I.  Sheffield.  Of  Alta :.  T.  R.  Wilson. 
Of  Moran:  Frank  Lovell,  G.  H.  Whiteman,  Charles  J.  Allen, 
Caldez  Allon,  A.  T.  Milligan,  Noble  Gregory,  W.  E.  Smith. 
Of  Zenith :  James  Crane,  Fred  Crane,  Frank  P.  Price,  Richard 
Mayers,  Lewis  Price.  Of  Grovont :  Albert  Nelson,  Frank- 
Sebastian,  James  S.  Simpson,  T.  L.  Hanshew,  W.  M.  Biber, 
Hud  Pormon,  John  Pormon.  William  Binkley,  William  Mer- 
ritt,  James  I.  May,  H.  H.  Meaner.  Of  Mammoth  Springs: 
Albert  Collins.  Of  Bedford:  Stephen  Turner.  Of  Merna: 
Rudolph  Rosecrans.  Of  Kemmerer:  W.  J.  Madson.  Of 
Cheney  :  Elias  Wilson,  John  Wilson,  S.  Cheney,  G.  A.  Wilson. 
Of  Evanston :  E.  H.  Horrocks.  Of  Fontenelle :  A.  P.  Som- 
mers.  Of  Valley:  B.  F.  Thompson,  James  L.  McLaughlin, 
Henry  Smith,  N.  E.  Brown,  Jennie  L.  McLaughlin.  Of  Isha- 
wood':  S.  Wr.  Aldrich,  W.  H.  Jordan,  W.  A.  Kepford,  G.  E. 
Russell.  Of  Cody:  \V.  I1.  Webster,  George  Sheets,  S.  H. 
Berry.  Of  Clark's  Fork  :  John  T.  Gilbert.  Of  Crandall :  San- 
ford  Keple.  Of  Alexander :  E.  E.  Hill,  Frank  Alexander,  W. 
J.  Alexander,  Albert  Hill.  Of  Cora:  P.  J.  Buych,  Charles 
Nettleton,  I.  N.  Lozier,  N.  H.  Groo,  William  J.  Glen,  P.  V. 
Sommers.  Of  Kendall:  M.  J.  Collins.  Of  Fort  Washakie : 
W.  C.  Jackson.  Of  Wells :  William  Wells,  Thomas  Pixley, 
George  Pixley.  Of  Rock  Springs:  J.  M.  Hodge.  Of  Painter: 
Samuel  Thompson,  Arthur  Whitney.  Of  Ten  Sleep :  H.  E. 
Miller.  Of  Byron  :  Dee  Davis. 


State  Fair. 


The  Wyoming  Industrial  Association  is  a  volunteer  organ- 
ization, composed  of  five  hundred  delegates  appointed  by  the  As- 
sociation President  from  all  walks  of  life,  which,  meeting  each 


140  THE;  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 

year  in  a  different  city,  holds  a  three  days'  convention.  At  this 
convention  papers  are  read  and  discussions  had  upon  all  topics  of 
industrial  interest,  looking  to  the  stimulation  of  practical  and 
scientific  promotion  of  the  State's  development. 

At  the  last  convention,  held  at  Sheridan,  through  the  kind- 
ness of  the  railroad  companies  giving  free  transportation  for  ex- 
hibits, a  fair  was  held  at  which  a  building  50x125  feet  was  com- 
pletely filled  with  agricultural  and  mineral  exhibits.  A  live  stock 
exhibit  was  also  made. 

This  product  exhibit  has  now  become  a  permanent  feature 
with  the  association,  and  as  the  next  place  of  meeting,  September 
20,  21  and  22,  is  at  Casper,  in  the  central  part  of  the  State,  a 
splendid  fair  is  assured. 

The  following  pictures  were  taken  of  four  of  the  fourteen 
sections  of  the  exhibit  hall,  at  the  last  convention,  showing  fruits, 
vegetables,  grains  and  grasses : 


Wyoming  Wants. 


In  reading  the  history  of  this  Northwest,  viz. :  De  la  Veren- 
drye's  Expedition  in  1742;  Lewis  and  Clark  Expedition,  under 
authority  of  Congress,  in  1804 ;  Washington  Irving's  Astoria, 
1811;  Captain  Bonneville's  Expedition,  1832,  and  Coutant's  His- 
tory of  Wyoming — in  all  of  which  the  territory  embraced  within 
the  limits  of  Wyoming  was  the  center  of  the  scene  of  action — one 
is  astonished  at  the  terrible  hardships,  privations  and  perils  under- 
gone by  brave  men  for  the  comparatively  little  wealth  to  be 
realized  from  peltries.  Today,  surrounded  by  the  best  civilization 
and  without  hardship,  privation  or  peril,  an  unlimited  and  per- 
manent wealth  awaits  the  investor  and  worker  in  the  following 
needs  of  Wyoming: 

The  Burlington  railroad  to  extend  from  Guernsey  west 
across  the  center  of  the  State. 

A  north  and  south  railway  through  the  center  of  the  State. 

A  number  of  short  railway  spurs  or  feeders  to  the  present 
railway  lines,  for  the  development  of  mineral,  oil  and  agricultural 
resources — which  must  otherwise  remain  undeveloped  or  un- 
profitable. 

With  the  accomplishment  of  the  above,  the  following  wants 
would  be  speedily  fulfilled : 


WYOMING  WANTS. 


141 


Iron  foundries  and  rolling  mills.  There  are  mountains  of 
the  finest  iron  ore  in  the  world. 

More  coal  mines.    Wyoming-  is  all  underlaid  with  coal. 

More  capital  invested  in  irrigation  systems — ditches  and 
reservoirs. 

More  practical  irrigators. 

More  farmers  who  are  not  afraid  to  work. 

More  practical  prospectors. 

More  practical  mining  men  as  investors,  operators  and 
workers. 

More  practical  oil  investors  and  well  drillers. 

Beet  sugar  factories. 

Money  to  loan  at  six  and  eight  per  cent,  on  A  No  I  securities. 

A  local  trust  company. 

A  local  fire  and  life  insurance  company. 

Every  city  in  the  State  needs  a  truck  garden.  There  are  a 
hundred  opportunities  in  this  line  to  make  a  competency. 

Five  hundred  chicken  ranches.  Eggs  sell  for  25  to  50  cents 
per  dozen.  Chickens  sell  for  50  to  80  cents  each. 

Woolen  mills — great  opportunity. 

Flour  mills. 

Glass  factory. 

All  "knockers"  rounded  up  and  colonized  on  a  Pacific  island. 

Wyoming  only  needs  thorough  investigation  by  capital  and 
workers  to  become  the  home  of  prosperity. 


142 


THE:  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 


List  of  Postoffices  in  Wyoming. 


Albany  County. 

Bin  ford 

Holmes                     "Mandel 

Sherman 

Bosler 

Jelm                            Marshall 

Sibylee 

Buford 

Laramie                    Moore 

Springhill 

Centennial 

(County  Seat)     Owen 

Tie  Siding 

Dover 

Little  Medicine        Rockcreek 

Toltec 

Fishcreek 

Lookout                    Rock  River 

Woods 

Garrett 

McGill 

Big  Horn  County. 

Basin 

Embar                       Jordan 

Painter 

(County  Seat) 

Fenton                       Kane 

Redbank 

Bigtrails 

Fourbear                   Kirwin 

Rome 

Bonanza 

Frannie                     Lovell 

Shell 

Burlington 

Garland                     Marquette 

Sunshine 

Byron 

Germania                  Meeteetse 

Tensleep 

Clark 

Hyattville                  Aiiddleton 

Vallev 

C  loverly 

Flo                             No  Wood    . 

Welling 

Coburn 

Irma                           Olwen 

Winchester 

Cody 

Ishawood                  Otto 

Worland 

Cowley 

Carbon  County. 

Arlington 

Dixon                         Hanna 

Rockdale 

Baggs 

Downington             Leo 

Rudefeha 

Battle 

Elk  Mountain           Medicine  Bow 

Saratoga 

Bennett 

Elwood                     Morgan 

Shirley 

Carbon 

Encamoment            Rambler 

Victoria 

Como 

Ferris                         Rawlins 

Walcott 

Dana 

Fort  Fred  Steele          (  County  Seat) 

Widdowfield 

Dillon 

French                       Riverside 

Converse  County. 

Beaver 

Douglas                     Inez 

Manville 

Big  Muddy 

(County  Seat)      Kirtlev 

North  view 

Boxelder 

Glenrock                    Labonte 

Orin 

Careyhurst 

Hatcreek                   Lusk 

Ross 

Warren 

Crook  County. 

Aladdin 

Eothen                       Inyankara 

Morse 

Alva 

Farrall                       Linden 

Sheldon 

Beulah 

Felix                         "Manhattan 

Sundance 

Carlile 

Gillette                      Mona 

(  County  Seat) 

Croton 

Hulett                       Moorcroft 

Fremont  County. 

Arapahoe  Agency 

Fayette                      Lost  Cabin 

Pinedale 

Atlantic  City 

Fort  Washakie        Lyons 

Rongis 

Bruce 

Hailey                       Milford 

Saint  Stephens 

Burns 

Kendall                      Muskrat 

Shoshone  Agency 

Circle 

Lander                       Myersville 

South  t-ass  City 

Cora 

(County  Seat)     New  fork 

Thermopolis 

Dallas 

Leckie                       Olson 

Union 

Deranch 

Lewiston                  Pacific 

Wells 

Dubois 

LIST  OF  POSTOFFICES. 


Johnson  County. 


143 


Barnum 

Greub                       Kaycee 

Sussex 

Buffalo 

Griggs                       Kearney 

Trabing 

(County  Seat) 

Hazelton                   Mayoworth 

Laramie  County. 

Archer 

Fort  Russell             Iron  Mountain 

Pinebluffs 

Arcola 

Foxton                     Islay 

Pratt 

Athol 

Frederick                 Junction 

Raw  Hide  Buttes 

Banks 

Glendo                      Lagrange 

Salem 

Bordeaux 

Goldsmith                 Lakeview 

South  Bend 

Lhevenne 

Granite  Canyon       Little  Bear 

Sunrise 

(County  Seat) 

Grant                       Little  Horsecreek 

Torrington 

Chugwater 

Grayrocks                 Macfarlane 

Trelona 

Davisranch 

Guernsey                  Meadow 

Underwood 

Diamond 

Hartville                   Meriden 

Uva 

Egbert 

Hecla                        Patrick 

Wheatland 

Fort  Laramie 

Hillsdale                   Phillips 

Wyncote 

Natrona  County. 

Alcova 

Ervay                        Independence 

Splitrock 

Casper 

Freeland                   Oilcity 

Wolton 

(County  Seat) 

Houck 

Sheridan  County. 

Arvada 

Dietz                         Ranchester 

Story 

Banner 

Hamilton                  Sheridan 

Ulm 

Bighorn 

Monarch                       (County  Seat) 

Verona 

Clearmont 

Parkman                   Slack 

Wolf 

Dayton 

Sweetwater  County. 

Almond 

Granger                    Lucerne 

Sweetwater 

Bittercreek 

Greenriver                Maxon 

Wamsutter 

Burntfork 

(County  Seat)      Rock  Springs 

Wilkins 

Creston 

Uinta  County. 

A  ft  on 

Daniel                       Grovont 

Oakley 

Almv 

Diamondville           Halfway 

Opal 

Aha 

Elk                            Jackson 

Palisade 

Altamont 

i-.vanston                  Kemmerer 

Piedmont 

Auburn 

(County  Seat)     Knight 

Robertson 

Bedford 

Fairview                   Labarge 

Sage 

Bigpiney 

Fontenelle                Lonetree 

Smoot 

Bondurant 

Fort  Bridger           Lyman 

Springvalley 

Border 

Fossil                        Mason 

Stanley 

Carter 

Freedom                   Merna 

Thayne 

Chenev 

Frontier                    Midway 

Viola 

Cokeville 

Glencoe                     Moran 

Wilson 

Cumberland 

Grover                       Mmmtainview 

Zenith 

Weston  County. 

Boyd 

Cambria                   Newcastle 

Horton 

Buckhorn 

Hampshire                   (County  Seat) 

Upton 

National  Park  Reservation. 

Yellowstone  Park 


144 


THE  STATE  OF  WYOMING. 


Elevation  of  Cities  and  Mountains. 


CITY.  ELEVATION  IN  FEET.  CITY.  ELEVATION  IN  FEET. 

Alcova 6,000  Hanna  . 6,788 

Atlantic  City 7,850  Hyattville  .  . 4,550 

Buffalo 4,600  Jackson  Hole 6,820 

Basin 3,700  Jackson  Lake .6,800 

Battle 9,866  Kirwin 9,500 

Cambria .5,100  Lander 5,372 

Casper 5,ioi  Laramie 7,153 

Carbon  .  6,821  Lovell 3,7oo 

Cheyenne 6,050  Lusk 5,007 

Cheyenne  (Capitol) 6,101  Medicine  Bow 6,562 

Cody  .  . 4,900  Meeteetse 5,ooo 

Corbett 4,659  Newcastle 4,319 

Douglas 4,816  Otto 4,011 

Embar 5,900  Rambler 9,500 

Encampment 7,322  Rawlins 6,744 

Evanston 6,759  Rock  Springs 6,260 

Fort  Laramie 4,270  Rock  Creek 6,704 

Fort  Steele 6,505  Sherman 8,247 

Fort  Washakie 5,462  Sheridan 3,738 

Fort  Yellowstone 6,370  Saratoga 7,000 

Four  Bear 6,500  Sundance 4,750 

Garland 4,183  Thermopolis 4,350 

Glendo 4,716  Ten  Sleep  . 4,5*3 

Glenrock 4,000  Tie  Siding 7,890 

Green  River 6,077  Wheatland 4,700 

NAME.  MOUNTAIN  RANGE.  ELEVATION  IN  FEET. 

Big  Horn 8,000  to  12,000 

Bradley  Peak Seminoe 9,Soo 

Bridger  Peak 11,400 

Chimney  Rock Wind  River 11,853 

Cloud  Peak Big  Horn 12,506 

Mt.  Doane Yellowstone 10,118 

Elk  Mountain Medicine  Bow n,5ii 

Fremont  s  Peak /Vind  River 13,790 

Grand  Encampment Park 1 1,003 

Grand  Teton Teton 13,800 

Index  Peak Yellowstone 1 1,740 

Laramie  Peak Laramie 1 1,000 

Laramie  Range 7,000  to    9,000 

Medicine  Peak Park 12,231 

Medicine  Bow  Range 8,000  to  12,000 

Mt.  Moran Teton 12,000 

Park  Range,  in  Wyoming 11,500 

Phlox  Mountain Owl  Creek 9,136 

Pilot  Knob Yellowstone u,977 

Quien  Hornet Uintah 9,3OO 

Sailor  Mount  in .' 10,046 

Seminoe  Mountains   (highest) 10,500 

Washakie  Needles 12,252 

iVit.  Washburn 10,388 

Yount's  PeaK  ....  . .  Yellowstone 12,250 


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